Advocates and guardians against oblivion: The role of the General Land Archives Karlsruhe's director.
In the heart of Karlsruhe, the General State Archive continues its vital work, now under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Stefan Kruppa. Kruppa succeeds Wolfgang Zimmermann, who served as director for 15 years.
Zimmermann, a distinguished scholar, has been a key figure in the historical-political education of the archive. He studied history, Catholic theology, and classical philology in Tübingen, earning his doctorate in 1993. Zimmermann has been working for the State Archives Administration of Baden-Württemberg since 1993 and at the State Archives of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart since 2006.
The General State Archives in Karlsruhe has evolved over the years, with its educational work focusing on historical-political education, allowing connections to current topics. This approach is particularly relevant in the context of right-wing extremism, a topic of great importance for the archive.
Five years ago, the Documentation Center for Right-wing Extremism (DokRex) was established in the archive, following recommendations from the second investigative committee in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament on the National Socialist Underground (NSU) and the investigation of the terrorist attack on two police officers in Heilbronn. The specific goal of DokRex is to investigate and document the topic of right-wing extremism, and it currently boasts a database with over two million entries as a basic equipment.
Zimmermann has been deeply involved in this initiative, and his work has provided valuable insights into the past and present of right-wing extremism. He does not believe history repeats itself, but there are similarities in constellations of power, claims to rule, and political order ideas. Complacency in engaging for democracy and coexistence of peoples may have contributed to current challenges, and Zimmermann emphasises the importance of vigilance and education in these matters.
The General State Archive serves as the historical memory of Baden and Württemberg, and an integral part of a liberal democracy. Its role is not only to preserve the past but also to provide insights into what has worked well and what hasn't in responding to right-wing extremism.
As Zimmermann steps down, the archive continues its essential work, with Kruppa at the helm. The archive remains committed to historical-political education, the Documentation Center for Right-wing Extremism, and the pursuit of knowledge in the service of democracy.
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