Donaueschingen - Zeitungsartikel/Petition

[Klaus Graf <graf _at__ uni-koblenz.de>]

Liebe Listen!

Wer sich ueber die Hintergruende der Petition in Sachen Donaueschingen
informieren moechte, kann den ZEIT-Artikel von Christof Siemes dank
freundlicher Genehmigung der ZEIT hier nachlesen:
http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~graf/siemes.htm

Ein Beitrag im Mannheimer Morgen von heute (8.9.1999) aus meiner Feder
ist die naechsten Tage ebenfalls online verfuegbar (Vorsicht
Zeilenumbruch!):
http://www.mannheimer-morgen.de/redak/19990908/html/Article/r050000000_24599.html

Ich moechte mich schon jetzt fuer das Engagement der Unterzeichner
bedanken, die teilweise im Kollegenkreis bereits weitere Unterschriften
gesammelt haben oder dies angekuendigt haben. Beispielsweise haben sich
saemtliche sechs Professoren im Department of German and Russian der
University of Vermont der Eingabe angeschlossen. Ein englischsprachiger
Text (bislang in der Liste EXLIBRIS publiziert) steht im Anhang dieser
Mail zur Weiterleitung zur Verfuegung.

Freundliche Gruesse und herzlichen Dank
Dr. Klaus Graf

*********************************************************************
Whoever is interested to take part of the petition mentioned below
which is addressed to the government of the state Baden Wuerttemberg
will be cordialy invited to send me an informal email
graf _at__ uni-koblenz.de
indicating your name, your professional position respectively the
institution.

Thank you!
Dr. Klaus Graf, University of Freiburg im Breisgau
Further informations (in German):
http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~graf/#kulturgut
 
***

Dear Esteemed Mr. Minister-President,

As a result of the planed auctioning of the Fuerstenberg Hofbibliothek
of Donaueschingen, the culture of the land of Baden-Wuerttemberg has
suffered serious damage.  The publications in the media have made the
extent of this damage quite clear.  Even if the entire library, as it
had
developed over the centuries, can no longer be saved in its entirety, it
still might be possible to rescue individual parts of that library.
Already on the 20th of October the first auction is to take place.

The undersigned ask that the government of Baden-Wuerttemberg provide
both means and personnel which can be employed at the anticipated sales
and auctions.  What is being asked for here is not the taking on of
additional governmental debt which future generations would then have to
repay, but rather the upholding of a part of their own cultural
heritage.
To do nothing at all would be the worst possible step in this matter.

Since only parts of the library can be preserved in this land, in the
long run, it would seem advisable to prepare a digitalized inventory
list
of the individual library sections.  For that purpose a research project
could be established, and the first steps toward that goal can already
be
made now, before the precious volumes disappear on the shelves of
private
collectors.  We ask you and the government of this land to provide
actual
and effective support.