The beacon among the digital archives: the Stasi media library

Dusted off: 3pc rethinks the digital archive

With the media centre, we have taken the files of the Stasi Records Office out of the archive cabinets and made them accessible to everyone for the first time. That in itself is a historic event, considering that these are Stasi documents that could not be more secret.

Between information and exploration

We deliberately chose a two-pronged approach for the design: users can search the database for specific content or explore the collection using stories and collections of topics. First, an editorial text categorises the events in their historical context. Then the files themselves document the course of events.

History becomes stories

The Udo Lindenberg file is one of numerous "stories" documented in the Stasi media library. It is one of the main topics covered by the editorial team. Numerous Stasi documents about Udo Lindenberg's closely guarded performance at the Palast der Republik on 25 October 1983 are also presented.

Bull's eye: the semantic search

The centrepiece of the website is a faceted search based on Apache Solr for TYPO3. In addition to the keyword search, which opens up all contents of documents, videos, audio files and image descriptions in full text, it offers the display of results in a timeline. This can be filtered by year, month and media type - an extremely useful tool for research that helps to make content accessible in a multidimensional and intuitive way.

Navigation via content contexts
Related content supplements the search results and invites users to explore, from document to document and from topic to topic. In this way, users find their own way through history and gain new insights.

Research uncomplicated

In the viewer view of a medium, users have access to various information and tools in a toolbox: texts that place the document in its historical context, archival metadata, transcriptions of manuscripts and audio tracks, image descriptions, explanations of terms, definitions of abbreviations and much more.

Projects with purpose

For over 30 years, we have been working with remarkable institutions from the education, science, culture, administration or business sectors. 

All our projects are based on common features: their demand for a high standard of editorial quality, their complexity and the fact that they are part of a greater societal change.

Throughout our work, an innovative and strategic outlook is key. At the same time, we have the highest demands on usability, design and the underlying technology of our work. All of these components must prove sustainable in the long term.

In all contexts, we value a comprehensive understanding of the diverse organizational cultures of our clients. We know how to support employees in change processes and how to moderate cultural change.

We see consulting as a joint process in which we use co-creative elements as effective and active forms of collaboration. Our aim is to involve all relevant stakeholders in finding solutions in order to achieve an optimal result that will be accepted in the long term.

Awards

Our work has received many awards. We work on projects with journalistic standards and high benchmarks for design and usability. Thanks to these criteria, 3pc was awarded the Grimme Online Award as well as other prizes.

Our Clients

For over 27 years, we have been successfully working with federal ministries and public institutions, cities and communities, universities, research foundations, museums, cultural institutions as well as private businesses.