Heinrich Schliemann's files are protected for conservation purposes.

The documents on the complex acquisition history of the famous Troy collection are thus secured for the long term. The files are then available again for research and exhibition purposes. On the occasion of Heinrich Schliemann's 200th birthday on January 6, 2022, the Museum of Prehistory is preparing a large special exhibition. As part of the project, the acquisition files for Heinrich Schliemann's collection of Trojan antiquities are to be revised in terms of conservation and thus preserved in the long term. 

The files from the years 1871 to 1939 consist almost exclusively of unique handwritten documents and relate to the acquisition history of the Troja collection of the Berlin Museum of Prehistory and Early History. Heinrich Schliemann's correspondence with the directors and employees of the Royal Museums, as well as numerous letters from well-known personalities such as Otto von Bismarck, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and the medical doctor and prehistorian Rudolf Virchow, are preserved in the seven volumes of files on a total of around 2,700 sheets. The files deal with one of the most extensive and historically most interesting collections of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History in Berlin. It documents the history of the Schliemann Collection over a period of almost 70 years. The complete preservation of this written tradition, even during the years of war and division, is a particular stroke of luck. The written tradition with its historical, cultural and legal references is of particular importance for research and against the background of the war-related relocation of parts of the collection. The seven file fascicles have never been edited for conservation purposes since their creation. Due to the frequent use, they show significant substantial damage. Preservation of the files is necessary in order to prevent further loss of substance and to guarantee the long-term usability of the files. As part of the project, the acquisition files for Heinrich Schliemann's collection of Trojan antiquities are to be revised in terms of conservation and thus preserved in the long term. The files from the years 1871 to 1939 consist almost exclusively of unique handwritten documents and relate to the acquisition history of the Troja collection of the Berlin Museum of Prehistory and Early History. Heinrich Schliemann's correspondence with the directors and employees of the Royal Museums, as well as numerous letters from well-known personalities such as Otto von Bismarck, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and the medical doctor and prehistorian Rudolf Virchow, are preserved in the seven volumes of files on a total of around 2,700 sheets. The files deal with one of the most extensive and historically most interesting collections of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History in Berlin. It documents the history of the Schliemann Collection over a period of almost 70 years. Collection and file documentation are to be seen as a unit. The complete preservation of this written tradition, even during the years of war and division, is a particular stroke of luck. The written tradition with its historical, cultural and legal references is of particular importance for research and against the background of the war-related relocation of parts of the collection.