It results from a sense of obligation to protect and preserve for future generations the archival heritage, which is an integral part of the common, pan-European cultural heritage. It also refers the idea promoted by UNESCO regarding a common documentary heritage, dispersed among various countries as a result of historical events.
Archival institutions participating in the project will carry out research works in their national resources, in aim to identify and determine the size, value and state of preservation of archival materials constituting the common documentary heritage of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (including the documentary heritage of the Polish Crown, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and province of Livonia).
As part of the project, archivists and researchers will have free access to archival aids and archival documents of the institutions participating in the project.
Common Archival Heritage also means:
- exchange of knowledge, literature and information on how to act in emergency situations,
- exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of infrastructure and archival construction,
- mutual assistance in preparing of professional archival staff (specialists exchanges, training, internships for archival conservators),
- preparing joint speeches and appeals to international archival organizations on matters concerning the protection of archival resources,
- popularizing knowledge about the common archival heritage (joint publications, exhibitions, seminars, conferences),
- supplementing national archival resources by: free independent copying, exchange or purchase of digital copies of selected archival materials from the resources of the countries participating in the project.
We initiated the project with a cooperation agreement signed by representatives of the boards of state archives of Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on April 18, 2024 at the Lublin Castle.
See the report from the agreement signing ceremony (in Polish).
