Cologne Germany

Such horrible news within archives world: the municipal archives of the city of Cologne, Germany has been destroyed. The building, constructed in 1971, collapsed, taking with it the buildings that sat on either side. Emergency personnel think three people may have been inside.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5846343.ece

We don't often think about how much records weigh. When we apply for archival jobs, one of the requirements is that we be able to lift about 40 pounds over head, which is the average weight for a full cubic foot box (10x14). If you have a densely shelved storage space, that's a lot of weight for a floor to take. Add to that, a city that does underground blasting and building for a subway system and heavy construction in the area, you just might find yourself in such a predicament. What is really disturbing is that cracks were discovered in the lower levels of the archives and were found 'safe' by city inspectors.

The City Archives of Cologne held wonderful municipal records and private manuscript collections. The city council meetings, going back to 1376, were absolutely complete, a rarity for a city so old. The oldest records were from 922A.D.

One of the reasons why our archives is on the ground floor is because of the compact shelving system. It weighs significantly more than regular shelving. (And we all have to be careful not to roll the shelving onto someone.)

Be safe!