25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: Simone Habendorf, head of the city archive of the Hanseatic city of Stendal, shows a document from July 25, 1724 in the final archive in which the mayor at the time asks for permission to procure a new door with a lock for the city archive. This is the first written mention of the Stendal town archives. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB

25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: Simone Habendorf, head of the city archive of the Hanseatic city of Stendal, shows a document from July 25, 1724 in the final archive in which the mayor at the time asks for permission to procure a new door with a lock for the city archive. This is the first written mention of the Stendal town archives. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB

25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: Simone Habendorf, head of the city archive of the Hanseatic city of Stendal, shows a photo taken before 1940. It shows the town archive of the Hanseatic town of Stendal in the old premises, the wedding room of the town hall. On July 25, 1724, the town archives of the Hanseatic town of Stendal were mentioned in writing for the first time. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB

25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: Simone Habendorf, head of the city archive of the Hanseatic city of Stendal, shows a document from July 25, 1724 in the final archive in which the mayor at the time asks for permission to procure a new door with a lock for the city archive. This is the first written mention of the Stendal town archives. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB

25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: Simone Habendorf, head of the city archive of the Hanseatic city of Stendal, shows a document from July 25, 1724 in the final archive in which the mayor at the time asks for permission to procure a new door with a lock for the city archive. This is the first written mention of the Stendal town archives. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB

25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: The seat of the town archive of the Hanseatic town of Stendal. The town archive was first mentioned 300 years ago in a document dated July 25, 1724. In this document, the mayor at the time asked for permission to procure a new door with a lock for the town archive. Three hundred years ago, the town archive was not located in the current building, but in the wedding room of the town hall. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB

25 July 2024, Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal: Guests stand in front of the city archives of the Hanseatic city of Stendal. The town archive was first mentioned 300 years ago in a document dated July 25, 1724. In it, the mayor at the time asks for permission to procure a new door with a lock for the town archive. Three hundred years ago, the town archive was not located in the current building, but in the wedding room of the town hall. Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa/ZB