Karin Schwarz

Prof. Dr. Karin Schwarz is a Professor of Archival Science at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (Fachhochschule Potsdam), leading the Archives program and serving as internship coordinator. She holds roles in academic governance, including former Vice President for Studies (2021-2022), Dean of the Department of Information Science (2016-2021), and Dean of Studies in her department since 2010. Her expertise spans archival science, records management, digital preservation, and archival evaluation. She has lectured internationally, including at the Geneva School of Management (2018-2020).

Education: PhD in History (2007, University of Trier), Magisterstudium in History, Art History, Politics, and Pedagogy (1997, University of Trier). Professional experience includes archival traineeships in Münster, Dortmund, and Marburg, and roles at the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Film Archive.

Research focuses on digital archives, records management in diverse sectors, and the adaptation of archival practices to modern challenges. Her work emphasizes the intersection of technology and traditional archival methods, with contributions to OAIS standards and digital long-term preservation. Supervised over 50 theses on topics like digital archiving strategies, records management in SMEs, and archival law.

Publications include foundational texts on digital archiving, appraisal methodologies, and interdisciplinary archival education. She advocates for transparency in archival processes, evidenced by her evaluation of the German Foreign Office’s Political Archive. Current initiatives include advancing archival literacy and leveraging AI for archival workflows.

Advising and mentorship: Extensive supervision of master’s and bachelor’s theses, with a focus on practical applications of archival theory. Active in professional networks, including the German Archives Society and international conferences on digital preservation.

Labs/Teams: Core member of the Archivwissenschaft research group at FH Potsdam, collaborating with municipal archives, universities, and cultural institutions on digitization projects and archival policy development.