How it all began:
The History of Our Archive
From Idea to Concept
It all began with a vision to preserve the company's historical memory and make it accessible. A feasibility study laid the foundation: What does a corporate archive require? What collections already exist, and how can they be systematically catalogued? International best practice examples were consulted, such as the Siemens archive in Munich.
From the outset, the goal was a holistic approach: the archive was not only meant to preserve, but also to consolidate knowledge and actively serve as the “Memory of Erste Group” both within the company and beyond.
Central Cataloguing
For a long time, scattered ‘collection islands’ had existed, maintained by dedicated employees. They played a key role in identifying additional holdings and establishing valuable contacts. Material was selected, assessed for historical relevance, measured and prepared for conservation at 26 locations.
Under the supervision of a paper conservator, a team worked to conserve documents, objects and photographs and package them in accordance with archival standards. Each archival item was assigned an inventory number and tagged with keywords for future retrieval. This process took around five years. The result was a preserved and catalogued archival collection of more than 50,000 archival items.
Arrival at the campus
In early 2016, the time had finally come: the move to the Erste Campus took place. Within two days, 16 truckloads of archival material were transported to their new home in the Corporate Archives depot. A new phase began: the first exhibition projects were launched, and preparations for the 2019 anniversary year intensified.
Today, the archive is far more than a storage facility – it is a vibrant instrument that makes history visible and tangible. Corporate Archives contributes banking history expertise to projects across the company and actively promotes historical awareness through guided tours, publications and collaborations. In doing so, it helps keep the history of Erste Group alive.