The majority of the Federal Archives’ audio documents are stored in Koblenz. They fall under the responsibility of the Picture Archive in the Federal Archives. The audio collection contains recordings that were made by central German authorities or handed over to the Federal Archives as a part of estates of figures of national importance. Most of the audio holdings are listed in the invenio research tool, but it is not yet possible to research their content there. You must book an appointment to conduct research (using tables and, in some cases, analogue finding aids) and access digital audio files in the Reading Room of the Picture Archive.
The audio document collection of the Foundation Archives of the Parties and Mass Organisations of the GDR in the Federal Archives (SAPMO) comprises approx. 8,800 audio documents in 47 fonds. The audio recordings document the organisational and political work of parties, mass organisations and associations. They reflect aspects of the German labour-movement history. Those originating from personal estates may also contain memoirs or private recordings. They can be searched via the invenio research tool and the ‘ARGUS’ search engine. In ARGUS, numerous digitised audio recordings from the TONY 1 (SED) collection can be listened to and downloaded directly.
Other digitised audio documents from the SAPMO can be used by making an appointment in the Reading Room in Berlin-Lichterfelde.