The Mainz Mini-Press Archive (MMPA) has existed in its current form since 1980 and is affiliated with the Gutenberg Museum. The original mission of the MMP Archive was to collect literary works from small and very small printing houses and publishers—also known as “minipresses”—whose publications, as experience had shown, were rarely included in public libraries and archives. Either these small print runs went completely unnoticed, or they were dismissed as “alternative literature.”
The MMPA comprises a unique collection of books (approx. 6,000), magazines (approx. 2,000 titles in 20,000 issues), press prints (approx. 200), videos (approx. 30), audio recordings (approx. 200), posters (approx. 500), flyers (approx. 1,000), and brochures from small publishers (approx. 30,000). This provides a good overview of their production in the German-speaking world.
Users gain valuable insight into the creation of printed materials and the work of small presses. Through seminars at the Mainz Small Press Fair and supplementary literature, the archive provides introductory guidance on self-publishing one’s own works or founding a publishing house. In addition, the MMPA administers the Victor Otto Stomps Prize, awarded by the state capital of Mainz for outstanding work in small-press publishing, which is presented every two years. It also organizes the Mainz Small Press Fair, which takes place every two years at the Rheingoldhalle in Mainz.
