Mainz Mini Press Archive
The Mainz Minipressen Archive (MMPA), a department of the Gutenberg Museum, is a collection of printed materials from small and micro publishers, known as minipressen, that is unique in Germany. In addition to around 6,000 books, 2,000 magazines, 1,000 leaflets, and 30,000 publishing brochures, the archive's extensive holdings also include press prints, sound recordings, videos, and addresses of small publishers. Every two years, the MMPA organizes the Mainz Minipressen Fair (MMPM), a trade and public fair for small publishers that is renowned throughout Europe.
History
The Mainz Minipressen Archive was founded in 1980 with the mission of collecting publications from small publishers that are rarely found in public libraries and archives. On the initiative of Mainz publisher Norbert Kubatzki (1938-1985), these small publishers and micro-printers have been gathering every two years since 1970 at the Mainz Minipressen Fair. Since 1986, the International Book Fair of Small Publishers and Artistic Hand Presses has been organized by the Mainz Minipressen Archive at the Gutenberg Museum. Some of the books and magazines exhibited at the fair are subsequently added to the archive's collection.
V.O.Stomps Prize
As part of the Mainz Mini Press Fair, the Victor Otto Stomps Prize will also be awarded at the Gutenberg Museum in recognition of "outstanding achievements in small-scale publishing."