Sonderband 2. International Council on Archives. Dritte Europäische Archivkonferenz, Wien 11. bis 15. Mai 1993. Tagungsprotokolle (1996)

2. Session /Séance. Regional (trans-border) Cooperation / Coopération régionale (transfrontaliere) - Sturm, Joachim: Perspectives for trans-border regional Cooperation: The Case of the Upper Rhine Zone / L’entente Rhénane d’archivistes municipaux (Erasm) (english 123 - français 134)

2. Session/Séance: Sturm, Trans-border Cooperation: Upper Rhine Zone

In a difficult financial environment, when budgets are more and more burdened with social security taxes of all kinds, the development of municipal archive services by means of historical publications or exhibitions runs the risk of being cut back. Here the financial resources of ERASM, thanks to the annual dues paid by members allows it to support municipal archive services in membership to the extent that their cultural activities, lectures, publications, exhibitions illustrate a history spreading beyond present-day boundaries or involve international cooperation between municipal archives along the Rhine.

The association should not, therefore be underestimated as a financial mechanism, the more so since its legal status allows it to receive grants from public sources, even if it does not offer advantages to businesses concerned to reduce their tax liabity by acting as patrons to the benefit of the association.

With regard to the field of the administration of archives properly socalled, ERASM once again offers advantages. Faced with the rigidity and strict control of public budgets, ERASM is able to act as a banker, who can overcome a certain degree of financial immobility. How many times has it happened that owners of private archives relating to the history of the Upper Rhine area have been able to sell these archives without the municipal archivist having to say that the municipal treasurers department will not arrange for the necessary money to be made available quickly. Able to provide financial support and temporary financing in such cases, ERASM regards itself as being endowed with a financial role which contributes to the preservation of the historical heritage of the region.

Over and above and beyond the results and advantages already listed, international cooperation within ERASM includes one aspect of continuing post entry training in the historical, intellectual and technical fields. Above all with regard to training and the acquisition of new knowledge, looking beyond boundaries, however near they may be, is some thing that is still little practised. Congresses and seminars attended by experienced archivists do not open peoples’ eyes to it accept in the field of historical knowledge so that there is very little about what is said and done outside the national framework. Post entry is primarily the product of developments in the administration of archives in its technical and legislative aspects within that national framework. New techniques and procedures being applied on the other side of the frontier, even in neighbouring, municipal archives is often ignored.

It is the same with the various ways of managing archive services. Circumscribed by an institutional, legal and administrative framework, the archivist looking beyond boundaries discovers other methods of management and ways of looking at the idea of an archive service.

These windows which open on to neighbouring archival practises are as much guides to thinking about making changes in their own services outside long established structures as they are a way of preparing for the harmonisation of the institutions of the European Community. Therefore, the value of institutional visits as types of mutual assistance and development of international cooperation within ERASM. It is in the archives and other bodies in neighbouring countries that the

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