The "Memory of Frankfurt" - The Institute for Urban History Frankfurt am Main
The Institute for City History Frankfurt am Main, known until 1992 as the "City Archive", is one of the most important German municipal archives and looks back on a verifiable history of around 600 years. It collects, indexes and communicates written and image sources as well as AV media on Frankfurt's city history. Its holdings range from the 9th century to the present.
The Institute is dedicated to the task of preserving and making accessible the historical heritage of the city of Frankfurt am Main. It takes care of the files that arise in the municipal administration and also collects all documentation materials that are important for the history of the city, such as the estates and collections of associations or companies. Despite major losses during the Second World War, its holdings are still among the most important of the German municipal archives in terms of size and weight. In total, it preserves around 25 shelf kilometres of files, plus more than two million illustrations and photos, around 18,000 portraits, about 40,000 documents, more than 70,000 maps and plans, around 25,000 postcards and 400 bequests of important Frankfurt personalities, as well as 1.5 shelf kilometres of company files. One of the most valuable archival documents is the Frankfurt copy of the Golden Bull of 1366, which was declared a World Document Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2013.
The Institute sees itself as a centre for the teaching of history and the formation of historical identity. To this end, it regularly organizes exhibitions, lectures, readings or moderated contemporary witness discussions. In addition, the didactically sound presentation of the Carmelite Monastery, the only remaining monastery complex in Frankfurt with a medieval appearance, is one of the Institute's tasks. Around 100,000 visitors come to the events or use its holdings every year.
