Professional First Aid for Cultural Heritage – A presentation of the Cologne model roll-off container

The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has been committed to the protection of cultural heritage for many years. The virtual event series "Cultural Heritage Protection in Germany" provides insights into the conditions and implementation of successful cultural heritage protection.

If cultural heritage is damaged by events such as natural disasters, accidents, or fires, then rapid salvage and first aid are required. However, not every cultural institution has the necessary set-up to provide professional first aid. The Cologne Emergency Association of Archives and Libraries and the Cologne Fire Brigade have developed a roll-off container for such scenarios. The transportable container offers workstations for written and photographic documentation, cleaning and general packing of cultural objects. It is also a storage space for almost all the necessary materials and equipment. Completed in 2020, the container has already been successfully deployed twice in the summer of 2021 to support institutions affected by the devastating floods in Germany.

The lecture will cover the conception and technical design of the container, some of the salvage operations to date and plans for the future. This will be followed by a live-stream presentation from the container itself in which its innovative features can be demonstrated.

Speakers:

• Nadine Thiel, Head of Conservation, Historical Archive of Cologne
• Corinne Henderson, Conservator, Historical Archive of Cologne
• Frank Peters, Incident Commander for Fire Protection and Technical Rescue, Cologne Fire Brigade