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ARBICA Statement on Iraq’s Archives (April, 14)

The Arab Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives (ARBICA) has been observing with great anxiety the events of the war against Iraq which started on March 20, 2003 and is going on until now. […] Archives institutions around the world have confirmed that the Code of Hamurabi (1792-1750 B.C.), the oldest archives in the history of the world, along with its 285 articles of social and administrative laws, is a collection of jurisprudence for the organization of social life. […] At the turn of the 21st century, it is a historical compulsion for the masters of science and technology to
protect this unique heritage of mankind. Instead, we are watching the destruction of all museums, and further threatening the documents and archives with serious danger by fierce bombardment. […] We are horrified and grieved to observe the mob looting plundering and destroying the Iraqi National Library with its manuscripts, books and rare historical journals, the National Archives Center which
represents the memory of modern Iraq, the museums in Baghdad and Mosul. Furthermore, 170,000 rare
and invaluable archeological pieces which date back to thousands of years, were also plundered and destroyed. The libraries of the museum and universities of Iraq were looted during daytime under the observation of the armed forces of the coalition who had the power to prevent such atrocities from taking
place. Is it possible that such an expedition was organized to demolish the identity of the Iraqi civilization?!
(ICA.org)

Archiv und Wirtschaft 2003/1

Archiv und Wirtschaft 36 (2003), H. 1
Aufsätze:

Aleida Assmann: Druckerpresse und Internet – von einer Gedächtniskultur zu
einer Aufmerksamkeitskultur
[Online bei Wirtschaftsarchive.de

Zitat: Die Zeitutopie des Druckzeitalters kulminiert in der Sehnsucht nach Dauer und Unsterblichkeit, die Raumutopie des digitalen
Zeitalters kulminiert in der Sehnsucht nach Verwandlung und Körperlosigkeit. Beide Sehnsüchte, das wollte ich mit meiner
Archäologie der Medien-Utopien zeigen, sind in die Medien selbst eingeschrieben. Wenn wir gedruckte Literatur lesen und wenn wir
im Internet surfen, haben wir – bewusst oder unbewusst – teil an unterschiedlichen kulturellen Transzendenzerfahrungen.
]

Michael Farrenkopf: Wissenstransfer am Beispiel eines Branchenarchivs: das
Bergbau-Archiv Bochum

Georg Brandes: Vom Lehrling zum Meister. Geschichte der Handwerksbriefe

Weiterer Inhalt in H-MUSEUM.

Iraq: National Archives turned to Ashes

BAGHDAD, 15 April 2003 — So yesterday was the burning of books. First came the looters, then came the arsonists. It was the final chapter in the sack of Baghdad. The National Library and Archives — a priceless treasure of Ottoman
historical documents including the old royal archives of Iraq — were turned to ashes in 3,000 degrees of heat. Then the Islamic Library of Qur’ans at the Ministry of Religious Endowment was set ablaze. I saw the looters
, writes Robert Fisk (The Independent).
Read more in Netbib.