Julia Hartung has done it cleverly, she can pursue both her nerdiness and her political aspirations as part of her paid work. As the new Head of Archives and Collections at the Schwules Museum, she spoke to us about her journey from Antifa to the archive and her passion for moving life stories, explaining why archives are political per se and what visions she has for the future of the SMU archive. For this interview, we really asked Julia a few questions and got a crash course in archive work in return – but read for yourself.
mino: Hello Julia, thank you for your patience with me! I was a few minutes late and then I was worried that you would shirk our conversation if I didn’t make it to the office on time…
Julia: Exactly! You had your chance! (laughs)
Are you afraid of publicity?
Nope, I wouldn’t say that. But my first impulse when you asked for this interview was that I would have preferred not to give it for another six months; now I have more questions than answers myself. But I’m glad that we’re sitting here now. The first time in a new place often brings a perspective that can be productively overwhelming.
You’ve already mentioned that you’re relatively new to SMU – would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?
With pleasure! I studied sociology, political science and peace and conflict research. These are all important tools for me to understand and change the world. I started getting involved in politics at an early age and this has accompanied me through my various stations: in Tübingen, Marburg, Rome and Vienna.
In which areas have you been politically involved?
I have a left-wing position, I did antifa work for a long time and am now also active in anti-gentrification politics. Being politically active and participating in changing society are natural parts of life for me. I then discovered my love of archiving in Vienna, where I ended up doing an internship at the Documentation Archive of Austrian Resistance. I enjoyed it so much that I returned to it years later and took the rocky path of archival science. I decided to do a part-time Master’s degree in Potsdam – which I completed not so long ago. Incidentally, I wrote my thesis on strategies for successful preservation in free archives.
What qualities do you need to do this job well?
I’ve seen all kinds of people in this job, but an affinity for being a nerd doesn’t hurt (both laugh). We all come to archiving with a strong sense of history. In archival science studies, you’re taught that you shouldn’t get too immersed in your own collections… We archivists are the ones who prepare something for you: we make it accessible, make it visible and accessible. But the people doing the research are often different people. You have to come to terms with that!
What appeals to you about the discipline?
The archive world is basically state-oriented. The German archives continued in this tradition after 1945. For a long time, it was assumed that the state was present in all areas of human life and that history could be written in this way. Movement archives have turned against this practice, especially in the 1970s and 80s, when the so-called new social movements entered the stage. Our history only appears distorted in the state archives, e.g. as a history of repression. So preserving your own historical sources is extremely important if you want to change the world and shape the future; in the archival world, we call this counter-documentation. I think it’s a powerful realization that we have to write our own history.
Where were you employed during your studies?
Most recently, I worked in the Bertolt Brecht Archive and before that in other departments of the Akademie der Künste archive. For example, I catalogued the estate of Leo Borchard, a musician who was supposed to be appointed by the Allies as the first conductor of the Philharmonie after fascism. Nothing came of it, by the way, because he was accidentally shot at the checkpoint in 1945 – he was coming from a party and the chauffeur didn’t stop… You’re confronted with such wild life stories in the archive!
And how did you end up in the Schwules Museum?
It is in the logic of free archives that they see archiving as a political practice: “We save our own history and that is a political act!” That’s why work in such archives is often done on a voluntary basis. When I saw the advertisement for the position of collection and archive manager at the Schwules Museum, and my regular contract at the Bertolt Brecht Archive was about to expire anyway, I just had to apply! It’s so rare that a position at management level is offered in a free archive. I was incredibly happy when it worked out straight away!
How do you like the close integration of the archive with a museum exhibition area, as is the case at the SMU?
The Akademie der Künste also has large museums, so fortunately I’ve already been able to gain some experience in this respect. I find this very exciting in the Schwules Museum because the temporality between the archive and the exhibition is different: where a forty-year-old estate comes in at the Academy, the points in time here in the museum are much closer together. The possibility of using the archive materials for the exhibitions is also more readily available at the SMU. As part of my work in the archive, I could well imagine expanding the introduction of curators of new projects to the archive. Every new project is a new perspective on our archive, we should make more use of it!
We recently spoke to you about the Senate’s budget cuts, as these also affect the IT department. At that point, you said: “Long-term archiving can only be guaranteed with in-house IT support, and the online visibility of the holdings will be restricted.” Now the question to you is how the archive intends to deal with the cuts that have actually been decided...
The cuts are unacceptable. I am not prepared to manage this precarization that affects the entire left-wing and independent scene. I don’t see it as our job to have to cope with the ever decreasing subsidies – or to make a name for ourselves by maintaining operations despite the cuts. The Schwules Museum is a political institution and I was very pleased that we went public in such a determined way. We do valuable work and need the resources to do it! I would like to continue along this path. If we want to talk about how this should be implemented in everyday life, we will certainly have to go through project applications.
The digital long-term archiving mentioned above represents a major challenge for all archives: How can files be protected against data corruption? How can the legibility of files be guaranteed over a long period of time? I am happy to contribute my archival expertise, but we cannot tackle digital long-term archiving without trained IT staff.
How do you, as archive and collection manager, decide which documents, objects and stories are quasi-worthy of archiving?
This decision is called archival evaluation, the “supreme discipline”! At the SMU, we tackle this task together and I love that: it makes it so rich, colorful and close to the community! As an archivist, I have the tools and criteria to make this decision easier. For example, there is the unique collection formation, which strictly speaking means that an archive only keeps what exists once in the world. A collection profile that can define geographical restrictions, for example, is also helpful. I am now developing one of these for the Schwules Museum, which is a great privilege. Another archival principle is: condensed documentation is better documentation! In other words, we want to incorporate what is characteristic of a person, institution or movement into our holdings. To do this, we have to condense! This is how we continue to strengthen the reputation of our archive.
Do you have strategies for how we can ensure that queer diversity is represented in the collection despite this necessary consolidation?
Avoiding blind spots and gaps in the archival collection remains a constant challenge. The archive benefits immensely from the SMU community when it comes to new additions: whether board members, volunteers or curators – everyone contributes to bringing “queer diversity” into the archive.
Do you feel like you’re in competent company?
Absolutely, very competent! Every day I realize anew what great people with exciting biographies and how much ingenious knowledge are gathered here. I’m really in the “falling in love” phase right now.
Keep your rose-colored glasses on! (both laugh) I see you’ve brought us a new arrival too?
Exactly, this is a new addition that is also not yet listed. I thought it would be nice to take something that I’ve taken care of from the beginning. I received a call from someone who has a friend who is over 80 years old. He was persecuted as a gay man in the army and was even committed to a psychiatric ward against his will. He eventually fought for compensation for the injustice he suffered. The archival records include official documents and are beautifully yellowed, as one would wish. What happened to gay men in the Bundeswehr has certainly not yet been exhaustively researched. Personally, I’m thrilled that a person over 80 says: “I’m not ashamed of this, I’m proud of it and want to make it part of a movement history.” This example shows a win-win situation in which a person comes to terms with their own history and receives encouragement: “Yes, what happened to you there is wrong!”; and at the same time these documents find a place to be kept and we can then enjoy such historical sources!
I’m just surprised at how personal and intimate your work can be…
Shoot, I studied archival science so that I wouldn’t have to do anything with people… (laughs) Joking aside, totally! It’s a great privilege and a great responsibility when people entrust themselves to you. As an archivist, you have many points of contact!
What are your visions for the future of the SMU archive?
First of all, I want to get to know the house properly. We have a great, functioning archive. Many people have put their heart and soul into making it what it is today. It’s important for me to understand what’s going on here and why, and then get involved. There is a unanimous desire to press ahead with the development of the database. A fully functional database would mean progress in the usability and visibility of the archive and the collection.
In addition, our closeness to the scene is our greatest asset. A movement archive thrives on this closeness. As long as queer people perceive this house as their place, as a place where they can “be”, regardless of whether they are politically active or not, the archive will remain alive. Part of this is the voluntary participation of volunteers in the archive. We not only receive archive materials, but also have so many people who get involved and contribute on site. The fact that people from the community are directly involved in the archive is a brilliant strength of our structure!
That makes you want to work in the archive! Thank you Julia for the interview!
Interview & photo: mino Künze