Who owns what?

Who owns what? And what does “ownership” mean? Mission archives are the records of Christian missionary societies founded in the late 18th century and, above all, in the 19th century. They originated as administrative records. The missionaries were required to submit regular reports to their leadership back home, and the societies maintained personnel files, meeting minutes, and correspondence. In addition, there were photographs, audio recordings, maps, linguistic and translation work, ethnographic objects, and mission journals used to solicit donations and support back home. Today, these materials are scattered, and ownership and custody are often separated. A concrete example of such a mission would be the so-called North German Mission in the Ewe region of present-day Togo. The image collection and library were transferred to the Bremen State Archives on November 18, 2005, as a deposit. The mission remains the owner, but since 2001 it has shared ownership equally with Togolese and Ghanaian Protestant churches. Thus, this collection reflects a complex arrangement of church ownership, supported by South-North cooperation, and preserved by the state.