The Saarland State Archive will conservatively preserve over 4,000 files from its central holdings dating from 1945 to 1965 as a preventive measure, thereby ensuring their sustainable conservation. The total volume of the project for the so-called mass deacidification amounts to 56,520 euros. It is co-financed with federal funds as part of the project "Preserving Written Cultural Heritage".
The Saarland State Archives plan to carry out conservation work on four (partial) collections from the years 1945-1965 between 2026 and 2027. This period is marked by landmark events in Saarland. It includes the French occupation period, partial autonomy with economic integration into France, the 1955 referendum, the political and economic reintegration of Saarland into the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957/1959, as well as the first years as a federal state. The archives are essential for researching the immediate post-war period as well as the so-called “small reunification.” The collection of the (Saarland) Foreign Office (1952-1956) is particularly notable, as such records are usually a matter for the federal government.
The documents in question, a total of 4,052 files (approximately 50 running meters or shelf meters), are frequently used. Especially with regard to the anniversary years 2027 and 2029, the State Archive expects increased demand. However, the collections show a typically poor paper quality for the period. The industrially produced papers are at risk of acid-related decay. They are now being conservatively treated and repackaged to slow down the decay process and improve the condition of preservation.
Specifically, paper is neutralized through mass deacidification. An alkaline reserve is introduced, raising the pH value to above 7.0. The earlier deacidification measures are carried out, the more sustainable their effect. Therefore, the state archive has selected the collections. Although they have poor paper quality, they do not yet show extreme damage. Since 2016, the Saarland State Archive has successfully applied for funding from the Coordination Office for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage, the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM), and the Cultural Foundation of the German States (KSL) for the eighth time. This increases the volume of preservation measures funded by federal resources to over 250,000 euros.
