Benjamin, Walther - Concept of the Archive

Benjamin's concept of the archive, however, differs from that of the institutionalized archives, whose self-understanding is derived from the origin of the word "archive." "Archive" stems from the greek and latin words for "town hall, ruling office," which, in turn, are derived from "beginning, origin, rule" Order, efficiency, completeness, and objectivity are the principles of archival work. In contrast to this, Benjamins archives reveal the passions of the collector. The remains heaped up in them are reserve funds or something like iron reserves, crucial to life, and which for that reason must be conserved. These are points at which topicality flashes up, places that preserve the idiosyncratic registrations of an author, subjective, full of gaps, unofficial.