This is the first time that all the newsreels from an era have been made available to the public in their entirety, in a format that facilitates commenting, editing and using the newsreels in blogs or presentations.

We at Neumann believe that the documents of our past are the building blocks of our present culture. In order for our culture to develop and flourish, these building blocks must be made available to everyone and their interpretation should be open to lively, objective dialogue and debate.

Some contend that these documents present a false and distorted view of the truth. We believe that each of these documents is a representation of reality. They cannot be separated from the era in which they were conceived, nor from the meaning that their authors intended. Newsreels should not be regarded as textbooks but as imprints of their times.

As an archive we have no choice but to preserve the legacy which has been left to us. At the same time, we can provide present and future generations with the opportunity to discover what those having lived before us wished to communicate about themselves.

An archive can pass no judgement. All it can do is to choose whether to entrust archived knowledge to the cultural community. We have decided to do so. We hope that you enjoy this opportunity and use it wisely!