The KEK celebrates its anniversary! 10 years of coordinated original preservation in Germany
Press release from 03/10/2021
In 2011, the Coordination Centre for the Preservation of the Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) was founded as a federal States project and located at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz. It is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and the the Kulturstiftung der Länder (KSL), the KEK has since achieved considerable success. achieved. The anniversary year provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at the results and prospects for saving written originals. of written originals.
The nationwide coordination of original preservation in archives and libraries by the CEC is a success story. Since the initial funding of pilot projects in 2010 and the official foundation in 2011, a significant contribution has been made to saving endangered written cultural assets. Archives and libraries across Germany have carried out around 740 projects to preserve originals, with the federal and state governments providing a total of 15.6 million euros through the KEK alone. Thanks to the necessary co-financing, participating institutions and states have also invested in the preservation of
.
Prof. Monika Grütters, Minister of State for Culture, commented: "Saving our written cultural heritage is a task for the entire state that can only be accomplished by joining forces. The Coordination Centre for the Preservation of the Written Cultural Heritage has been a reliable partner and strategic driving force for ten years. Thousands of historical manuscripts, books and documents have already been saved thanks to the co-operation of the federal government, federal states, municipalities, churches and private individuals - I would like to thank everyone involved. The federal government's special programme for the preservation of written cultural heritage, which we are continuing this year together with the CEC, has made a significant contribution to this."
Prof Dr Markus Hilgert, Secretary General of the Kulturstiftung der Länder, added: "My warmest congratulations for ten years of valuable, important and successful work. The Coordination Centre
for the Preservation of the Written Cultural Heritage is an example of the good cooperation between the federal and state governments in cultural policy. Its work not only raises public awareness of our cultural heritage in archives and libraries. Within ten years, the CEC has worked on a considerable number of restoration projects and has developed into the centre of expertise and driver of innovation in matters relating to the preservation of written cultural heritage in Germany."
The anniversary year will shed light on the multifaceted task of preserving original documents in archives and libraries from various perspectives. One of the highlights will be a conference in Berlin in November 2021. In addition to specific issues, such as the mass problem of acid erosion, the programme will also include infrastructural developments and opportunities to raise awareness. Among other things, the "Nationwide Recommendations for Action" published by the CEC in 2015 will be analysed in terms of their implementation. In addition, the approach of nationwide coordination of original preservation will be discussed from a national and international perspective in terms of cultural policy and expertise. The anniversary conference is also being planned as a digital event to enable broad participation in the event.
CEC history at a glance
' 2009: The Alliance for the Preservation of the Written Cultural Heritage submits the memorandum "Preserving the Future" to the federal and state governments. In their coalition agreement, the governing parties agree to set up a coordination centre
to strengthen the protection of written cultural heritage.
' 2010: Start of KEK model project funding! For the first time, the federal and state governments provide funding for the preservation of original artefacts.
' 2011: Official establishment of the CEC, set up at the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and based at the Berlin State Library.
' 2012: CEC model project funding is presented at the National Action Day at the Bavarian State Library in Munich.
' 2013: The interdisciplinary "Nationwide Expert Network for Original Preservation" meets for the first time in Berlin.
' 2014: An external evaluation confirms the CEC as a successful federal and state project.
' 2015: The "Nationwide Recommendations for Action" are published as the first comprehensive assessment of damage and endangerment.
' 2016: The first scientific volunteer joins the CEC.
' 2017: Start of the BKM special programme! Large-scale projects for original preservation can also be funded.
' 2018: In the European Year of Cultural Heritage, traces of international networking are made visible on originals.
' 2019: In a record funding year, funding in the BKM Special Programme is increased to 4.5 million euros.
' 2020: We are live! The KEK portal goes online at www.kek-spk.de.
Coordination Centre for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) at the Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage
Unter den Linden 8
10117 Berlin
Contact
Sonja Annette Wallis
Press contact
+49 30 266 43 14 53
kek-presse@sbb.spk-berlin.de
www.kek-spk.de@originalerhalt