For almost two years, the date had been postponed again and again, coronavirus bing to blame. But now the time has finally come: the long-drawn-up cooperation agreement between the University of Bayreuth and the General Directorate of Bavarian State Archives has been signed.
Prof. Dr. Martin Ott, Director of the Institute of Franconian Regional History, welcomed Dr. Margit Ksoll-Marcon, who has headed the Bavarian State Archives as Director General since 2008, and University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible to the Institute's rooms at Thurnau Castle. Ott pointed out the importance of the State Archives - first and foremost the Bamberg State Archives - for the Institute's research, as they represent the primary source from state and territorial administrations. "I am particularly keen to emphasise the excellent advice and support that archive users receive," Ott said. In addition to the central, content-related aspects, archives are also important as potential employers for historians. Making this clear and introducing the archive to students as a research field, but also as a professional field, is an important concern associated with the cooperation agreement.
The master's programme "History in Science and Practice", established and supervised by the Institute of Franconian Regional History, aims to do just that, in addition to providing central academic training, to bring students into close contact with professional fields. Ksoll-Marcon warmly welcomed this initiative. "The State Archives of Bavaria, with their rich tradition, see themselves as service providers for research and as a reseach partner. The primary goal is therefore to make the holdings accessible," she said at the signing of the contract. Among the various user groups, historians conducting academic research play a central role. For the use of the archive material, the state archives provide handouts such as the "Digital Schriftkunde" for German and Latin palaeography on their homepage.
Leible thanked Ksoll-Marcon for travelling to Thurnau to sign the contract. He underscored the importance of the archives for research, but also for the University's own history. For example, the University Archives, established in 2013, serve as a repository for the University administration's records, which are filed according to a uniform file plan. Leible also emphasised the importance of the cooperation agreement, which would further enhance the master's programme in History in Science & Practice.
