Jaenique Swartz
The National Archives of Namibia will continue strengthening existing ties with the Landesarchiv Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, fostering joint efforts to preserve archival material.
The archive institution, alongside its German counterpart, hosted a two-day training workshop this week to provide education on the significance of preservation, conservation of records and restoration practices about our historical archives.
This continued partnership between the two archives can be traced back to 2020. Their agreement is in place until 31 December 2024.
“Three years later, we can say with relief and a little pride that we achieved a great deal together. A functional restoration centre has been set up here, and the new archival boxes here in the national archives permanently secure the archival material,” said Professor Wolfgang Zimmermann, the director of Landesarchiv.
“It seems particularly important to me that we have learned a lot from each other – about Namibia and Germany, about the work opportunities in our archives, but also about the painful period of genocide against the Herero and Nama by the German colonial troops in the early 20th century. In that sense, we hope that our cooperation can contribute to a good, shared future of Germany and Namibia.”
The workshop kicked off with an in-house training for the National Archives of Namibia (NAN) staff, which started on 30 October in addition to several trainings, site visits to the archives in Germany and donations of acid-free boxes to the NAN.
Gerald Vries, executive deputy director of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, reiterated the existing notion of the importance of preserving the materials in the archives.
“Preservation of records has become more critical in today’s digital age, where information has become more accessible than ever, yet the vulnerability of records remains a concern. Today, we have volumes of records that are born digital, and we are no longer only talking about archival records on the shelves, but we are also talking about records managed through various systems and platforms.
“As such, there is a need for better records management systems for us to ensure vital records are preserved for continuity of business and future generations,” he said.
Vries then moved to thank the staff members and everyone involved for their dedication to preserving it, as it is part of the nation’s legacy.
“Your devotion to maintaining our archives is an investment in our nation’s culture and educational system,” the technocrat said.
- jaeniqueswartz@icloud.com