Digitization of enrollment applications of Universität Hamburg from 1918 to 1935
Final Report Abstract
The fond 201c, Abteilung 3 – Studium und Lehre is one of the fonds in the archive of the University of Hamburg that is frequently asked for by users from all over the world. It mainly consists of the applications of inscription that had to be filled out by every student prior to her or his studies in Hamburg. These applications can be subdivided into three groups; applications from 1918 – 1935, from 1935 – 1945 and from 1945 to the 1970´s – the cards from 1918 to 1935 alone amount to roughly 35 000 cards containing information about date and place of birth, address, the family background and of course the subjects she or he wanted to study. For the time from 1918 to 1935 so called Matrikelbücher (inscription books) exist, in which the names of all students are listed – the data that is listed in these books is however somewhat rudimentary and cannot be compared to the detailed information one may get from the applications. In connection with the 100 years anniversary of the university plans were made to make the applications accessible online – the traditional way of answering requests concerning the cards had proved to be quite time consuming, the more so as there usually were 2 to 4 requests a week. Scientists and users were asking for cards in order to get biographical information about certain students or to use the data for prosopographic studies. One must not forget that the years from 1918 to 1935 witnessed two of the most dramatic changes in German history: the collapse of the German empire and the rise of national socialism with the ill-fated Weimar Republic in between. The cards from 1918 - 1935 were chosen because they were the oldest, could be compared to the information in the inscription books and were accessible freely as the law in Hamburg does not prohibit personal data to be made accessible to the public if the affected person has been dead for over 10 years or has been born more than 90 years ago, which certainly is the case if someone started her or his studies until 1935. Since the accessibility of the cards via the Matrikelportal the number of requests concerning them has been dropping considerably in numbers, as users now get the desired information directly online. Reactions to the Matrikelportal have been positive ever since it was started with users praising the possibility to see the cards by themselves (albeit in reproductions) and not having to wait for an answer from the Universitätsarchiv – in summary one can say that the project is a considerable success.
Publications
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Freie Namenswahl? An der Universität kein Problem, Blogbeitrag
Dennis Hormuth
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Universitätsmatrikeln.
Hormuth, Dennis (Ed.)
