On February 24, 2023, Dr. Andreas Linsenmann (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) presented the results of a seminar with his students at the city archives. The project, which was highly interesting in terms of both content and methodology, was the result of a collaboration between the university and the city archives. The topic addressed by Dr. Linsenmann's dedicated team, migration, is just as relevant today as it was 50 or 60 years ago. The result of the seminar is the online exhibition "Transnational Mainz," which has now been published.

The most important source for the online exhibition is the estate of Mainz photojournalist Karin Eckert. This estate, which is held in trust by the Karin Eckert and Paula Ludwig Foundation in the city archives, comprises an estimated 400,000 photographs. Local historian Harald Neise has catalogued the estate for the city archives on a voluntary basis, thereby making it accessible for research for the first time.

Strictly speaking, Mr. Linsenmann's project seminar is not about migration itself, but rather about the majority society's view of migration. This shift in perspective brings complex questions to the fore, such as the context in which the photographs were taken or the cultural anchoring of an image's content.

We at the city archives are delighted to have contributed to this project.