Digitization of records of the Zentralstelle für Gewerbe und Handel (state agency for economic development and commerce) of the department Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Gerald Maier
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2020 to 2023
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 442788928

The Landesarchiv Baden Württemberg (Baden-Wuerttemberg state archives) has initiated a project to digitize a selection of records of the Zentralstelle für Gewerbe und Handel (state agency for economic development and commerce) of the department Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg. The project addresses the need of a centralized and digital access to archival records in order to facilitate historical research on a variety of topics. The digital copies will be made available on the online platforms of the Landesarchiv Baden-Wuerttemberg, of the Archivportal-D (German Archives Portal) and of the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library). The selected archival documents offer essential material for the economic and social history of Southern Germany. They range from the beginning of the 19th century well to the middle of the 20th century and allow comparative studies on the process of economic transformation in the 19th century. Due to their scope and importance, they are already highly demanded by archival researchers.The project aims at the digitization of 4,372 paper files and includes a metadata-based structure, the introduction of authority files and links to existing metadata. The project draws on results of the former project "Produktivpilot Digitalisierung von archivalischen Quellen" and on the experience gained by other digitization activities.

• DFG Programme: Cataloguing and Digitisation (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)