16.02.2015

Archives introduce themselves - Stadtarchiv Mannheim - Institut für Stadtgeschichte

By Archivportal-D

As the memory of the city, the Stadtarchiv-ISG is responsible for all analogue and digital documents on the history of Mannheim. A total of around 14 km of files and official books are kept, plus over 800,000 pictures, 25,000 maps and plans and 14,000 posters, most of which have been digitized. They document the development of the city from its foundation in 1607 to the present.

As an institute for city history, the Stadtarchiv-ISG is the central contact point for all historical questions concerning the history of Mannheim and a mediator of historical identity. Its extensive educational offer with lectures and guided tours, publications, exhibitions as well as the "Stadtpunkte-Tafeln" (city points boards) is aimed at all sections of the population.

Stadtarchiv Mannheim | ISG, PL05229-1979

Another focus of the work of the Stadtarchivs-ISG is the digitisation of documents. For this purpose, the Stadtarchiv-ISG maintains its own digitisation centre, which offers services for the administration as well as external customers. So far, in addition to extensive collection holdings, other holdings such as council minutes and registry office registers as well as the archive of the Kunsthalle Mannheim have been digitized as part of a DFG-funded pilot project. The Stadtarchiv-ISG aims to make as many records as possible available in digital form; accordingly, it has been a partner in the DDB and the Archivportal D since 2014.

The Schrade estate in the Archivportal-D

The first collection to go online in the DDB in April 2014 is the estate of the architect Christian Schrade (1876-1964). It was recovered by the Mannheimer Architektur- und Bauarchiv e.V. in 2003 and passed to the Stadtarchiv-ISG after having been stored unnoticed for many years in a tower room of the Christuskirche. It contains around 3,000 building plans and drawings, of which over 2,000 are dedicated to Schrade's main work, the Christuskirche in Mannheim. It was built between 1907 and 1911 and is still considered an outstanding example of Protestant church construction at the beginning of the 20th century throughout Germany. The plans document the complex planning of the church from the first sketch, through the cracks and sections, to the construction drawings and furnishing details. Further plans in the estate are from Wolfram Schrade (1909-1942), the son of the architect. The estate also contains original plans of the Mannheim Friedenskirche (built 1904-1906) and the Lutherkirche (built 1903-1906). Due to the destruction of Mannheim's municipal building records during the Second World War, the estate is of great relevance to the city's urban and architectural history. In addition, it is of particular importance for the study of the architectural work of Christian Schrade and Protestant church construction, especially the Christuskirche.

Particularly noteworthy in the inventory are the plan drawings with sections of the Christuskirche (PL05229-1979 or PL05229-038) as well as the lovingly detailed drawings by Schrade of the main portal of the church (PL05229-073) or even the key sign (PL05229-1316). All of them underline the unique character of the Christuskirche as a total work of art.

Holdings of the City Archive Mannheim in Archivportal-D

Contact:

Stadtarchiv Mannheim-Institut für Stadtgeschichte

Collinistr. 1

68161 Mannheim

Tel. 0621 / 293-7027

Fax. 0621 / 293-7476

E-Mail: stadtarchiv [at] mannheim.de (stadtarchiv[at]mannheim[dot]de)

Web: www.stadtarchiv.mannheim.de

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stadtarchiv-Mannheim