Trends in the Creation and Appraisal of Government Records in Germany

Abstract

While archivists in western and eastern Germany may have different traditions, they face the same challenges presented by the use of information technology in government offices in recent years. Documentation strategies and goals in advising agencies must be developed in consideration of current professional debate and limited resources. The following article presents tendencies in governmental records management, advising strategies of archives, and schemes for broad-scale appraisal based on observations at the level of the governments of the German La¨nder and includes case studies from Saxony.

The German appraisal discussion since 1990: an overview

“…69 In a similar vein, Kluttig argues that functional analysis of records creators can be approached on a collaborative basis. 70 In order to cope with the appraisal challenges posed by increasing administrative complexity, the growth of importance of private records, and greater integration between government levels following reunification, a 2011 position paper from a Society of German Archivists Working Group advocated cooperation in appraisal between archival institutions in different levels of German government, echoing Booms's 1972 suggestion. 71 Sudmann extends the debate by suggesting that a cooperative approach to horizontal and vertical appraisal can be applied to important private records, such as those of NGOs.…”