Overview

• The cooperative archive was founded by actor Peter Sodann to rescue DDR literature and has operated as a non-profit registered cooperative since 2018.
• It currently employs two staff members whose minimum-wage salaries are financed precariously by rapidly declining donations.
• Leaders estimate an annual budget of €50,000 to €100,000 is required to sustain two full-time cataloguing positions.
• Modest revenue from an on-site antiquarian book sale falls far short of covering ongoing personnel and preservation costs.
• The Sächsisches Kulturministerium confirms no public libraries in Saxony receive institutional funding and has only offered the cooperative project-based grants.