Tasks and Legal Basis
The University Archives
- take over and evaluate HHU records that are no longer needed and advise the university on questions of analogue and electronic record keeping,
- make archive materials available to academics and scientists and thus contribute to the processing and communication of the history of HHU,
- support and supervise students in their search for archival materials for academic assignments or theses,
- facilitate career-oriented studies through seminars and internships,
- support those interested in history in their research,
- are thus both a contact for all questions concerning the history of HHU and a service provider for HHU.
After the legal and university retention periods have expired, the university institutions and committees contact the University Archives. The archives then decide which documents are to be included. Basis for this decision is the North Rhine-Westphalian Archive Act and the Archive Regulations (Archivordnung) of Heinrich Heine University (HHU).
As a public archive within the meaning of the North Rhine-Westphalian Archive Act, the University Archives secure and store records and other documents worthy of archiving from the entire area of the University, including Düsseldorf University Hospital, supplement this material with collections relating to the history of the University, in particular the estates of important members of the University, make it available for scientific research in general and research with focus on the history of the University. In this way, it functions as the cultural and historical memory of HHU and contributes to sharpening its historical profile in public perception.
As a service provider for the university administration, the archive offers cost-saving administration and safekeeping of old records. It advises the administration on all questions of records management and ensures long-term access to information about former activities.
Within the framework of guided tours and seminars, the University Archives imparts knowledge in scientific research as well as insights into the history of HHU and the job description of an archivist.