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 - Csendes, Peter: Cooperation between the Successor States of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy / Coopération entre les Etats Successeurs de la Monarchie austro-hongroise (english 59 - français 66)

1. Session/Séance: Csendes, Cooperation between the Successor States

While all these activities are primarily connected with the historical relationship between the above mentioned countries and dedicated to the archivist-historian, we also have to consider cooperation in the field of archival theory. Because of the political conditions the exchange of information had not only been limited to casual visits, but also the different conception of administration and archival theory did not provoke the need of regular mutual talks. As Austria has so far retained the traditional office organization - changes began only step by step in the seventies, in some provinces (Bundesländer) not before the very last years -, Austrian archivists watched international developments from a rather distant view; there were regular contacts with Germany, but not with Western Europe, Scandinavia, the USA or Canada, and those with ICA are still limited to the State Archives, the Municipal and Provincial Archives of Vienna and the Municipal Archives of Innsbruck - the latter two are members of the Section of Municipal Archives of ICA. But also in this respect we can observe a change.

First of all we have to mention the International Institute for Archival Sciences in Maribor, founded in 1985. Besides other European countries, correspondents come from Austria, Czechia, Hungary and Italy (Trieste). There are particularly close connections with Styria, and the Austrian correspondent is a member of the staff of the Provincial Archives in Graz. This Austrian institution keeps up high standards in restoration techniques, and as the above mentioned exhibition has shown, quite a lot of help could be given to interested colleagues on account of its great experience.

As this is a characterization of the present situation, we can come to ask for the perspectives. What can be done, what should be done in future?

The main target in the near future will still be cooperation in the wide fields of common history. As there are no longer any barriers to immediate neighbours and as we can hope that a similar situation will soon exist in other countries20, quite a lot of questions can be approached now. The organizing of symposia, exhibitions, multilingual publications, exchange of inventories, or microfilming projects will be the favoured subjects of cooperation. All these have already been covered in most cases by bilateral conventions on cultural and scientific cooperation An important and useful project in this regard would be a guide to the main archives giving reference to the material concerning neighbour countries - the ARGE Alp Guide could provide a sort of a guideline.

The traditional position of Austria in Central Europe has now a new meaning and is of increasing importance. So international archival organizations have already asked for adequate participation by Austria in the field of disseminating knowledge in archival theory21. We cannot claim that Austria holds a really leading position in archival theory - mainly for financial reasons -, but, of course, is well acquainted

20 We have to consider especially Rumania and the Ukraine.

This was articulated in an international meeting in Prague in 1991, dealing with the modernization of archives in Central Europe.

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