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Universitätsarchiv
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The University Archives [Universitätsarchiv] are as old as the University itself. When the University was established by Count Eberhard the Bearded [Graf Eberhard im Bart] in 1477 with papal permission, the new body was granted a number of important privileges such as self-administation, tax exemptions and autonomous jurisdiction. The documents where these privileges or their confirmation by subsequent rulers of the Duchy of Wurtemberg were laid down, being of vital importance to the University's academic freedom and it's independence from city and state authorities, were secured with other valuables, e. g. the silver treasure ["Silberschatz"] and cash assets, in the vestry of the St. George's Collegiate Church in Tübingen and since 1549 in a vault under the Main Assembly Hall ["Alte Aula"]. By the mid-eighteenhundreds however, these documents had lost their original importance, the University having been completely reorganized and stripped of it's traditional privileges during the Napoleonic era and the years following. Therefore in 1865 the Senate, in order to make them more easily accessible to historians, turned over to the Library the old Archives and most other university records originating prior to 1750. The Archives formed a separate section within the Library's manuscript collection until they were removed from the jurisdiction of the Library and placed under the direction of a professional archivist in 1967. This was done with regard to the oncoming 500th anniversary celebrations but also motivated by the rapidly expanding amount of non current records throughout the University. However, the Archives are still closely cooperating with the Library, being conveniently located in the Library building and taking advantage from the Library's facilities.
In compliance with a recent state law [Landesarchivgesetz, 1987] the records of any of the University's corporate bodies, agencies or officers are to be turned over to the Archives 30 years after they have been produced. Also, no university records may be discarded without the Archives prior consent. It is the Archive's primary mission to accession and appraise these materials and preserve, organize, decribe and make accessible to the public those that are ascribed permanent historical, legal or administrative value. The Archives may also collect any other records and materials pertaining to the University's history, e. g. records of affiliated organizations or personal papers of faculty members. Additional tasks include the provision of historical information to the administration and to others members of the institution or the general public. The Archives also administrate large numbers of non current staff and patient records that have to be retained for possible administrative and medical use and will partially be transfered to the Archives proper at a later date [Personalaktenzwischenarchiv und Zentrales Krankenblattdepot für Personalakten bzw. Krankenakten/Krankenblätter].
Staff includes five employees, two of them academically trained archivists, plus two employees for the Medical Record Repository [Zentrales Krankenblattdepot]. To users, a reference room and the Library's Historical Reading Room [Historischer Lesesaal im Bonatz-Bau der Universitätsbibliothek] are available.
A comprehensive aquisition policy that was implemented in 1967 has resulted in a continuous build up of holdings, which at present amount to about 2350 linear meters plus 6300 linear meters for the Medical Record Repository [Zentrales Krankenblattdepot]. The following survey is intended to give a general impression of the Archives holdings. Dates refer to the earliest or latest available document respectively.
A. Governing officers and bodies (1492-1989): Records e.g. include e.g. almost complete series of Senate minutes (1524-1976).
B. General administrative records (1477-1990): These record groups are the most comprehensive and contain at least some material on most of the diverse university institutions as well as most any aspect of academic life, including e.g. matriculation lists (1477-1945), individual student (1829-1951), faculty member (1808-1992) and staff (1829-1992) files.
C. Financial administration offices and officers [Wirtschaftsverwaltung] (1418-1971).
D. Judiciary bodies [Organe der akademischen Gerichtsbarkeit] (1485-1967).
E. Faculties (1477-1992): Records e.g. include matriculation lists (1562-1839), records on appointments, conferral of degrees (1477-1992), finances, curricula and graduation requirements [Studien- und Prüfungsordnungen], opinions [Gutachten/Konsilien] of the theological (1519-1918), law (1551-1883) and medical faculties (1600-1918).
F. Church and Civil Service Entrance Examination Commissions [Staatliche Prüfungsauschüsse] (1829-1983) and Academic Examination Commissions [Diplomprüfungsausschüsse der Universität] (1923-1989-).
G. Seminars and Institutes (1520-1993): With few exceptions, notably the Library, these record groups contain 19th and 20th century material only. This may typically include files on accomodation, finances, staff, research projects. Papers of individual faculty members are included in numerous cases.
H. Clinics (1802-1990): Administrative records may typically include records on accomodation, finance, staff but also the papers of individual staff of faculty members. In addition, individual patient's records (1832-1990) [Krankenblätter/Krankenakten] are available.
I. Student Organizations (1822-1992): These range from early 19th century student representation over to present-day fraternities.
J. Welfare Organizations [Soziale Einrichtungen] (1509-1990). K. Faculty organizations, learned societies (1823-1981).
L. Other university related institutions and organizations [Andere Körperschaften, Gesellschaften und Vereine] (1564-1880): These diverse records range e.g. from Tübingen's knight's academy (1564-1816) over short-lived Ellwangen University (1812-1817) to the German Institute for Distance Studies at Tübingen (1967-1983-).
M. Papers of faculty members and other scholars affiliated to the University (1559-1993): This rapidly growing collection in it's majority dates from the 19. and 20. centuries, because all papers of private orign remained in the Library's manuscript department when the Archives were reorganized in 1967.
N. Special collections and special record collections: This includes e.g. Charters, deeds and treaties (1335-1812) [(Pergament-)Urkunden], Official university publications [Amtsdrucksachen: Vorlesungs- und Personalverzeichnisse, Hochschulführer, Mitteilungsblätter der Universität etc.], campus leaflets (1967-) [Flugblätter], posters (1967-) [Plakate und Anschläge], audiovisual materials, student's lecture notes [Vorlesungsnachschriften] (1779-1968) and other manuscripts, doctoral diplomas (1795-), unprinted dissertations (1810-1977), libri amicorum (1593-1874) [Stammbücher], artifacts and memorablilia (17th-20th century).
Werkschriften des Universitätsarchivs Tübingen. Series 1: Quellen und Studien (19 volumes, 1977-1993); Series 2: Repertorien und Kataloge (16 volumes, 1969-1993); Bausteine zur Tübinger Universitätsgeschichte (8 volumes [Folgen], 1981-1992).
Volker Schäfer: Das Universitätsarchiv Tübingen. In: Attempto 25/26, Tübingen 1968, p. 80-87. Volker Schäfer: Das Zentrale Krankenblattdepot im Universitätsarchiv Tübingen. In: Der Archivar, volume 44, 1991, columns 442-448.
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uat@uni-tuebingen.de (uat@uni-tuebingen.de) - Stand: 20. Mai 1997