The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

Kristina John 19.11.11 1

summary

1. history until 19902. inventing the SAPMO3. first things to do4. network „SED-Archivgut“ (SED records)5. digitization

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

Kristina John 19.11.11 2

1. history until 1990– ZPA (internal party archive)

founded in 1963 as part of the institute for Marxism-Leninism

research for certain historians possible

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

Kristina John 19.11.11 3

1. history until 1990– IPA (internal party archive)

founded in 1959 as part of the bureau of the Politbüro

only for confidential or secret records of the governing body of the SED

only accessible for high party officials

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

Kristina John 19.11.11 4

1. history until 1990– destruction of records

destroyed without thought or lost while movingintentional destruction:

– confidential/secret records could be destroyed or transferred into IPA

– closing of institutions (e.g. opinion research institute)– collapse of the GDR

» central membership card-index» department of financial administration (70s/80s)

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

Kristina John 19.11.11 5

2. inventing the SAPMO– until reunification (3. Oct. 1990)

first discussions reg. handling of records→ attempts at legal regulation fail

unification treaty only regulates governmental fonds

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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2. inventing the SAPMO)– debates at Bundestag

proposed solutions:– CDU/CSU/FDP (government coalition):

» divide fonds/records into governmental and party related

» only governmental records into Bundesarchiv– SPD (social democrats, biggest opposition party):

» keep fonds/records together» dependant foundation inside Bundesarchiv» expropriation of fonds

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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2. inventing the SAPMO– debates at Bundestag

proposed solutions:– Bündnis90/Grüne (green party and civil rights activists):

» fear that records wont be accessible in Bundesarchiv or transported to western Germany (Koblenz = main office)

» independent foundation under public law– PDS (successor of SED):

» keep fonds/records together» expropriation → personal papers will be taken back

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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2. inventing the SAPMO– debates at Bundestag

dilemma:– keep up principle of provenance– expropriation:

» without compensation: constitutionally questionable» with compensation: politically not acceptable

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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2. inventing the SAPMO– debates at Bundestag

solution (28. Aug. 1991 by Gerd Wartenberg)– dependant foundation inside Bundesarchiv– change of archival law: jurisdiction just for governmental

records– other records: contract between owner and foundation

→ ownership is made clear but not changed– fonds stay in Berlin– no waiting period for research (no 30 year rule)

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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2. inventing the SAPMO– board of trustees

representatives of Bundestag, owners and researchers

owners are still consultednecessity for agreement for accessibility

– start: 1. Jan 1992

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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2. inventing the SAPMO– name: Stiftung Archiv der Parteien und

Massenorganisationen der DDR im Bundesarchiv (SAPMO)(Foundation Archives of Parties and Mass Organisations of the GDR in the Federal Archives)

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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3. first things to do– enable accessibility

find and secure all records

find storage space

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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3. first things to do– bring ZPA and IPA together– intensive research for public prosecution,

investigation committees, commissions of enquiry ...rehabilitation, real estate, pension etc.

– return of confiscated records

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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3. first things to do– moving to Finckensteinallee (1994)

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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4. network „SED-Archivgut“ (SED records)– central units: SAPMO– local/regional units: state archives– 2002: bring fonds together virtually

goal: search engine with fond descriptions and finding aids

– technical realisation/coordination: SAPMO– glossary and abbreviation list included– since 2007: FDGB records added

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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4. network „SED-Archivgut“ (SED records)

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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5. digitization– cooperation with publishing house (K.-G. Saur

Verlag)– microfilming and digitization

3 years after publishing: online by SAPMO– fonds:

Politbürooffice of Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honeckeroffice of Günter Mittag

– digital copies integrated in finding aids

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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5. digitization

The Records of the SED (Socialist Union Party) -How the SAPMO was founded

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5. digitization