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History and purpose of the
Mainzer Minipressen-
Archive (MMPA)
The Mainzer Minipressen-Archiv (MMPA) has existed
in its current form since 1980 and is attached
to the Gutenberg-Museum. The original purpose
of the MMP-Archive is the collection of literary
works by small and tiny printing shops and publishing
firms, also known as mini-presses, the output
of which was frequently only admitted to public
libraries and archives under great difficulties,
in our experience. Either the small editions
were not even known or not acknowledged as "alternative
literature".
Diese Kleinstdruckereien und Kleinverlage kommen
seit 1970 alle zwei Jahre auf der Mainzer
Minipressen-Messe (MMPM) - Internationale
Buchmesse der Kleinverlage und künstlerischen
Handpressen zusammen, bei deren Veranstaltung
das MMP-Archiv wesentlich beteiligt ist. Initiator
und erster Veranstalter der Messe war Norbert
Kubatzki, ein Mainzer Kleinverleger.
These tiny printing shops and small publishing
firms have been coming together every two years
at the Mainzer
Minipressen-Messe (MMPM) – International
Book Fair for Small Publishers and Private Presses – since
1970, in the organization of which the MMP-Archive
plays an essential role. The initiator und first
organizer of this fair was Norbert Kubatzki,
a small publisher in Mainz.
Some of the books and magazines exhibited by the
private presses were transferred to the MMPA after
the fair, more or less as a way of saying thank
you for the opportunity to exhibit their works
free of charge. The collection of the MMPA was
essentially created by such these donations. In
addition, the complete collection of magazines
of the "U-Archive" (Hamburg Underground
Archive), a complete edition of the leftist daily
newspaper, the TAZ, the literary magazine collection
of Günther Emig (editor of the "Verzeichnisses
deutschsprachiger Literaturzeitschriften" VdL),
the alternative magazines by Udo Pastemey (editor
of "Bibliographie der Gegenkultur"),
the alternative collection of magazines of Hadayat-Ullah
PG Hübsch, as well as many newer literature
and cultural magazines published by small firms
are to be found in this archive.
The MMPA forms a unique collection of books
(about 6,000), magazines, (about 2,000 titles
in 20,000 issues/booklets), press publications
(about 200), videos (about 30), sound carriers
(about 200), posters (about 500), flyers (about
1.000), leaflets from small publishing houses
(about 30,000) and the addresses of small publishers
(about 4,500 as of 2002/2003) and provides a
good overview of their output in Germany-speaking
regions. The user acquires a good impression
of the genesis and the work of the private presses
and through discussions, seminars, and continuing
literature, the Archive provides "first
aid" on how to publish one's own works or
how to found one's own publishing firm. Since
1987, this fair has enjoyed an increasing attendance
by small publishers from all over Europe; in
addition to French, Dutch and British "small
presses", increasingly young publishing
firms from Eastern Europe are also participating
and donate their output to the Archive.
The MMPA publishes a catalogue of international
presses, small publishers and author-publishers,
which contains more than 450 addresses, publisher
presentations and articles on the small publishing
industry, on book arts and on writing.
In addition, the MMPA also lays the groundwork
for the V. O.
Stomps Prize of the City of Mainz. We have
compiled various exhibitions from the stocks
of the archive and from lenders, which interested
institutions may borrow. At the moment, we have
the following exhibitions:
- Retrospective of the Mainzer Minipressen-Messe
- V. O. Stomps prize winners of the City of Mainz
- the cartoonist and comic artist Gerhard Seyfried
Further information may be obtained
from:
Mainzer Minipressen-Archiv des Gutenberg-Museums
Contact: Jürgen Kipp
Liebfrauenplatz 5
55116 Mainz
Tel.: 0 61 31 - 12 26 76
Fax.: 0 61 31 - 12 26 76
www.minipresse.de
info@minipresse.de
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