Authority history: In 1882, a number of merchants, business representatives and other dignitaries from the Stuttgart region founded the "Württembergischer Verein für Handelsgeographie und Förderung Deutscher Interessen im Ausland" (Württemberg Association for Commercial Geography and Promotion of German Interests Abroad). The objective was "the promotion of geography, economy and culture". Within a few years, a rapidly growing collection of ethnological objects from all over the world was created in addition to other association activities, such as an extensive lecture programme. The collection was initially housed in rented premises on the gallery of the Gewerbehalle and was officially declared a museum of ethnology based on scientific principles on 1 June 1889 (guest book in Bü 1209).After many years of planning, the search for a suitable building site (the discussion included locations such as the site of the former Neue Lusthaus and the burnt-out Hoftheater), the provision of the necessary funds and a major architectural competition, a neoclassical museum building was erected at today's Hegelplatz/Herdweg site according to the plans of the young Stuttgart architect Eser. The main operator of the new building project, the chairman of the association (since 1890) and generous sponsor Count Karl von Linden, died in January 1910 after the laying of the foundation stone of a serious illness. It was decided, in appreciation of his merits, to name the new ethnological museum "Linden-Museum". On 28 May 1911 the opening ceremony took place in the presence of the Württemberg royal couple. In addition to the association with board, committee and numerous members, a scientific director now joined the museum. The first museum director was the naval doctor and ethnologist Dr. Augustin Krämer. He was assisted by Heinrich Fischer, who had been recruited by Count von Linden at the turn of the century, former employee of the Natural History Cabinet and from 1932 director of the museum, as the editor of the collection accesses. The following four phases can be discerned in the eventful development of the museum: 1882 to 1911 (from the foundation of the association to the occupation of the museum's purpose-built building),1911 to 1945 (until the end of World War II with extensive war damage),1945 to 1973 (from reconstruction to the transition to the public sector),Since 1973 (State Museum of Ethnology).100 years of existence were celebrated with a large museum festival on 28 May 2011. The history of the association and the museum, from its beginnings to the present day, is documented in detail by numerous publications and anniversary commemorations (including Bü 392 and 903) as well as by the written documents and pictorial documents recorded in the classification points of Group 2.5 Special Survey. Further details can therefore be omitted at this point. Inventory history: Since the Verein für Handelsgeographie and the resulting Linden-Museum were privately initiated institutions, the creation of files did not follow the usual administrative procedures. The core of the tradition are the extensive correspondences of the chairman Count Karl von Linden and the long-time treasurer and chairman Theodor Wanner, as well as other personalities of the association committee and - connected with the opening of the museum building - the scientific director. The personal commitment of Count von Linden in maintaining worldwide contacts with German colonial officials, colonial officers, overseas merchants, captains and missionaries is reflected in the written tradition and even more in the rapidly growing ethnological collections. The later scientific correspondence documents the networking of the museum with other renowned institutions and persons as well as the extremely large activities within the framework of lecture programmes and exhibition projects. Subject files, various publications, extensive collections of newspaper clippings, memorabilia and pictorial documents round off the collection. Due to the close interlinking of association and museum, no separation of provenance was made, only the internal name "Vereinangelegenheiten" for parts of the tradition was retained. The collection also contains documents on the Daughter Institute for Foreign Relations founded in 1915/1916 on the initiative of Theodor Wanner and on the German Colonial Museum. Processing report: The handover of the holdings EL 232 Linden-Museum (Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde) took place in three stages:Access to files 1993/043, now Bü 1-347 with gaps:When the work was taken over by the undersigned, this part had already been taken out of the files under the direction of Dr. Nicole Bickhoff by the archivist Hans-Jürgen Seifried, captured in the titles and provisionally packed. The formation of a finding aid was still pending. About 150 files were cashed (mainly receipts, invoice duplicates for Tribus yearbooks, daily statistics for in-house exhibitions). Since no old principles of order were recognizable, the partial holdings were classified internally in the archives according to correspondence series and fact files.file access 2011/032 (box 1-96), now Bü 348-666, and file access 2011/039 (box 97-178), now Bü 667-959:These deliveries were packed in boxes and sorted according to a museum-internal four-part chronological order scheme (cf. above history of authorities). This was largely adopted in the archival classification. The AZs mostly related within a classification point were indicated in the headings. File Access 2012/012 (List Number 1-98), now Books 960-1064, and File Access 2012/035 (List Number 102-252), now Books 1065-1226:This delivery layer consisted mainly of binders with leaflet covers, as well as registrants, repertories, cash books and member directories in tape form. It was classified internally within the archive on the basis of the structure of the previous partial stocks. At present, the holdings of EL 232 Linden-Museum (Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde) comprise 1211 archive units. Individual archive units are still subject to the statutory blocking periods. The signing and classification was done by the undersigned after preliminary work by Dr. Nicole Bickhoff and Hans-Jürgen Seifried.Ludwigsburg, June 2012Regina Schneider
