Sonderband 2. International Council on Archives. Dritte Europäische Archivkonferenz, Wien 11. bis 15. Mai 1993. Tagungsprotokolle (1996)
1. Session / Séance. Experiences gained, current Situation, future Prospects / Expériences acquises, Situation actuelle, Perspectives futures - Hall, Kenneth: Perspectives opened up by the Maastricht Symposium / Perspectives ouvertes par le Symposium de Maastricht (english 41 - français 48)
Kenneth Hall Archives and Europe without Boundaries. Perspectives opened up by the Maastricht Symposium It is a temptation, when contemplating the celebration of a centenary, to look mainly to the past, to rehearse past triumphs and to bemoan previous mistakes or omissions, rather than to focus on the present and the future and on the opportunities and challenges that they present. What is now the Royal Netherlands Society of Archivists (VAN), the oldest national professional body of archivists in the world, chose to look forward and to share the celebration of its foundation with colleagues, both from within and outside the profession, by means of an international conference. This was not the only celebration of the centenary, but it was the boldest of them and that which had the most impact. To hazard so ambitious a venture was, in itself, a considerable undertaking which greatly taxed there sources of the association. It involved over 70 speakers and some 450 participants. However, not only did the theme selected address an immediate and important concern of the international community of archivists - Archives and Europe without Boundaries1 - but also the approach adopted in organising and structuring the Maastricht Symposium was in itself innovative. Let me first consider the ethos of the Symposium. The organisers decided at an early stage that the atmosphere should be as informal and relaxed as possible and that active participation in professional debate by all of those attending should not only be encouraged, but be almost mandatory. It was intended from the outset that the Symposium should cater ,for people with both professional experience and with a professional future before them1. This was interpreted by one of the organisers as encompassing those with between five and twenty years experience. Debate was to be fostered both inside and outside the conference sessions. It was also intended that debate should not be dominated by participants from the host country, but rather that it should be a truly international affair. Additionally, speakers should be chosen primarily for their expertise in the particular subject that they were allocated rather than for any other considerations. How then was this achieved? The conference centre at Maastricht provided excellent and appropriate facilities in a pleasant, cosmopolitan setting ideally suited for the type of conference envisaged. Meeting in October 1991 it might, indeed, be argued that the community of European archivists made more harmonious and productive use of the facilities on offer than did their political masters shortly after. The organizers unashamedly provided a mix of comparatively short formal sessions, followed by long coffeebreaks, free informal luncheons served in the conference centre and a number of social and cultural events. The atmosphere and opportunity was ripe for the continuance of 41
