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This is unbelievably awful: Cologne city archives collapse into a hole in the ground. It is, in fact, a bigger disaster than the fire at Anna Amelia library. Four people are unaccounted for (at least), and it looks as if the archives themselves are a total loss (they poured concrete into the hole, in an attempt to shore things up. This includes a large number of mediaeval religious manuscripts relating to the Rhineland mystics, as well as stuff relating to Heinrich Böll.

... I know. It's rather monstrous to be concerned about that when people are probably dead, but all the same: the manuscripts are a very great loss, too.

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The Deutsche Welle has an article that indicates that at least a part of what was lost is archived on microfilm somewhere in the Black Forest. So while the originals may be lost, it's quite possible that the content is still around.

The big hole is quite shocking to look at, though.

That's so sickening to think about -- both the people and the manuscripts. I'm hoping for the best for all concerned.

I'm not surprised in a way- after all Cologne is very largely built on the remains of Cologne, with not very stable soil and on a geological fault. Having seen with my own eyes what is under the Dom (namely the remains of a Romanesque cathedral, and several roman houses including intact hypocausts) I would surmise that something has given way.

Early reports (when I checked yesterday) suggested that there were no casualties, which seemed surprising - I expect that this was a mistranslation from the German.

I don't think that you are alone in thinking about the loss of manuscripts, either.

Good Lord, that's altogether awful. And I don't think you're monstrous at all for thinking of the manuscripts. My reaction's much the same, and the archival material's not even related to my field.

(So far as I know--there are apparently Irish manuscripts tucked into archives all over the continent, and them mostly un/undercatalogued, so I might well be wrong.)

That is truly a nightmare. People dying and knowledge lost.

I still can't quite believe it happened. And, I had the same reaction re. the manuscripts. The thing is, I cannot for the life of me understand how they could continue construction on the new subway tunnel after that nearby church tower turned into the Leaning Tower of Cologne. This should have made people think, but, no.

This is horrible all around, not only for the loss of life but for the loss of history.

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