Before the pandemic, there were still guided tours through the Munich City Archives, but now there are online “consultation hours” at irregular intervals with Manfred Heimers, who is currently running the house on an interim basis. In the interview he talks about family researchers looking for advice, about court documents that are difficult to decipher and about trials against adulterers.
SZ: Which question do you and your colleagues hear the most?
Manfred Heimers: “How do I get the documents I need?” When you come into an archive, you may feel overwhelmed at first. And then he hopes to get an answer quickly during the consultation.
You could also search for keywords online, for example, or go through the stocks systematically. Is that too complex?
It’s actually not that easy. It can be difficult to even find the right keyword. Anyone who has been dealing with a topic for a long time may have their own ideas about a good catchphrase, and that doesn’t necessarily match what we used. And there are many ways you can search.
It all sounds as if mainly private people come to her consultation hours.
In fact, it is mainly private individuals who are interested in history, local history or family history, that’s true. Scientists usually know how to help themselves, they are practiced.
Which documents are particularly in demand?
If someone researches family history, then these are the civil registry documents, i.e. the birth, marriage and death registers. They have been here since 1876. And the police registration documents go back to the early 19th century.
Are there also files that hardly anyone wants? So, so to speak, underestimated files?
Yes, there are. Court records from the early modern period, i.e. from the 16th to the 18th century. For example, the municipal court ruled on estates, inheritances, guardianships or marital problems.
About marital problems?
Yes, for example about adultery. But these files are difficult to use. Searching them systematically is difficult, you have to have clues beforehand that you can search for in a targeted manner. But most of the connections break off in the 18th century. The registration documents only go back to the 19th century. For the time before that there were church registers, which were introduced in the 16th century. But basically the Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to 1648 is a border. It rarely goes back further.
Are such files even legible for private individuals?
The files are kept in the cursive of the time, which of course you have to be able to read. But family researchers usually fight their way through and we help too. If someone comes and asks: Can you please read this letter to us, then we have to decline. But we can help with individual words, for example. And there are courses too. I myself gave a course in German writing for a long time, but mainly on cursive handwriting from the 19th century. We would like to reintroduce this course in the future and offer it four times a year. We have noticed that the need is very great.
the Next consultation hour this Tuesday at 6.30 p.m. Registration at [email protected]. information below stadt.muenchen.de/rathaus/verwaltung/directorium/stadtarchiv.html.