About the archive
Visiting hours: Wednesdays & Thursdays 14:00 to 16:00 or by appointment at archiv@offener-prozess.de.
The archive is a space for exploring and coming to terms with the social dimensions of the NSU-Komplex and its causes. The focus is on the role of the East German experience and the perspectives of those affected by right-wing terror and violence.
The development of the archive is based on a collection campaign that creates public awareness of the collection work. The archive work is participatory and performative in the sense of a living archive . A living archive is a collection of information that is constantly changing and expanding because new contributions are constantly being added and people are working with it – so it remains alive and up-to-date.
The resulting collection is divided between two repertoires and two databases:
- Repertoire I brings together knowledge about the terror of the NSU-Komplex
- Repertoire II on migrant and resistant perspectives from East Germany. The databases reveal the continuities of right-wing terror since 1945
Database II focuses on East German society since 1990 in order to contextualize the acts of the NSU-Komplex.
The collection is clearly laid out in a media database. The archive materials are compiled in the database and published with comments. The collection will be supplemented by an oral history project. The aim is to give a voice to local actors who are committed to combating right-wing space-taking in south-west Saxony. In addition, we offer workshops on archival approaches, artistic and curatorial practices in the context of archival work.
Current collection campaign “Living archive”
Call for submissions of your own memorabilia for the archive
from June – November, during archive opening hours & by appointment
The “Offener Prozess” archive is a space for exploring and coming to terms with the social dimensions of the NSU-Komplex and its causes.
To build it up, we are starting with a collection campaign focusing on the NSU-Komplex, right-wing terror, racism and migrant and resistant East Germany. In order for us to create a living archive, the participation of the public is crucial – not only in its use, but also in its collection. We are looking for materials that evoke memories: personal, political or everyday. It’s not about “official” documents or spectacular finds – but about things that have meaning for you or others and tell a story or stories.
These can be, for example:
- Excerpts from the press, radio or television programs
- Everyday objects, photos, letters or diaries
- Flyers, posters, invitations to events, especially with a migrant perspective
- Recordings or memories from workshops, storytelling cafés or programs
- Recordings of conversations, stories, self-made videos, audio files
- Term papers or theses on suitable topics
We do not work according to the classic archive model, in which objects are handed over permanently. A photo, a scan or a brief description is often sufficient. If digitization is not possible, a simple reference to the source is also sufficient. We are happy to help you record the materials.
The only important thing is that the material should trigger something – memories for you or others who see, hear or read it in the archive. Contact for queries: archiv@offener-prozess.de
