© Bielefeld University
Tasks
As a public archive, the University Archives of Bielefeld University fulfils a range of different duties. On the one hand, the University Archives is responsible for the acquisition, storage, maintenance and supplementation of all documents and materials arising from the institutions and bodies of Bielefeld University which are deemed to be of lasting historical value. It preserves, maintains and indexes these, making them available for use. It also carries out its own research and brings out publications. Its mandate is based on the Archive Act of North-Rhine Westphalia from 16 March 2010 and last amended on 16 September 2014 (ArchivG NRW), the Archive Usage and Fee Regulations of North Rhine-Westphalia of 29 May 2015 (ArchivNGO NRW) and the University's own "Guidelines on the Storage, Selection, Archiving and Destruction of Records of Bielefeld University" of 4 June 2018.
Serving as the memory of Bielefeld University, the University Archives preserves the procedural and experiential knowledge of the university administration in a condensed form with its archive material. It is responsible for documenting past achievements for future generations. It allows interested parties to access and understand decision-making processes carried out at the University by retaining the historical context in which they arose and structural references. In addition, the Archive supplements its official collections by acquiring legacies and documents from associations and societies connected to the University, as well as by creating relevant archival collections (photos, posters, flyers, audio and film documents, etc.). As such, we are always on the lookout for materials of various kinds relating to the history of the University.
On the other hand, the University Archives is a service facility that prepares and provides information for different user groups within and outside the University (students, researchers, people interested in history, employees, etc.). In addition, the University Archive provides advice within the University on questions of record keeping, record disposal or record storage and, more recently, on the archiving of projects. If you have further questions about the topics mentioned here, you can visit our FAQ section.
The Archive aims to build tradition and foster identification and to root Bielefeld University in the public imagination of the region through its history. In the organisational structure of the university, the Archive is assigned to the Communications Office.