German Alliance for the Protection of the Written Heritage

In March 2001, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in collaboration with the Bayerische Versicherungsbank (a corporate subsidiary of the well-known insurance company „Allianz”) organized a congress on „Strategies of Preservation and Conservation”. During the meeting it was proposed not to wait for comprehensive solutions offered by the governmental authorities responsible for the maintenance of libraries and archives, but to tackle the problem by initiatives started within the respective organizations. As early as in June, a steering committee of representatives from libraries and archives met to establish a study group called „Deutsche Allianz zum Schutz des schriftlichen Kulturguts” (German Alliance for the Protection of the Written Heritage). At present, the committee is about to define its status and functions, its main objectives and its organizational form, but there are some clear indications of future activities which will be analyzed below.