The Archives of Contemporary Arts

A Collection of Literary Estates

With the acquisition of the pre-mortem bequests of the author Peter Turrini and the composer Friedrich Cerha by the provincial government of Lower Austria, the foundation for an archive was laid to be dedicated to the collection of pre-mortem bequests and post-mortem estates of outstanding artists. The archive opened its doors in June 2010. The collection currently focuses on the areas of music, literature, film and architecture. In addition to the archival tasks of preservation, preparation and presentation of the collections, the activity of the archive also includes the conception and execution of research projects and scientific conferences, as well as its own publications.

The aesthetic design of the archive rooms was implemented based on the concept of the Austrian architect Adolf Krischanitz. The architecture of the user spaces visually implements the theme ‘archive’ by deliberately drawing on components of the archives such as boxes, roller shutters and compartments.

In 2022, the Archives of Contemporary Arts – A Collection of Literary Estates was expanded to include the Documentation Center for Literature in Lower Austria, which consists of historical and contemporary collections. As a facility of the provincial government of Lower Austria, the archive is affiliated with the Faculty of Education, Arts and Architecture of the University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems).