MAN Bus Germany
As Archive Director, Henning Stibbe preserves the history of MAN Truck & Bus and its products. He is currently digitizing thousands of photographs and documents to make them accessible to as many people as possible. Let's take a look at his favorite discoveries.
A historical archive full of old documents, cardboard boxes and piles of files. Dusty and boring? Absolutely not. "Sometimes I do come across dusty documents, but every day spent in the archives is new and exciting. Whether I discover a new and rare document or receive a challenging inquiry from a vintage car enthusiast, no two days are ever the same," says Henning Stibbe, Archive Director MAN Truck & Bus. Since taking up his post in 2011, the trained art historian has never had any regrets – even though it was challenging at the start: "First of all I had to gain an overview of the extensive material." Item by item, he started to classify photo after photo and document after document. The results can already be seen: The documents in the archives have been meticulously classified on the shelves. No matter which photograph someone is looking for, Henning Stibbe will find it straight away. He proudly makes his way through the aisles.
Classifying and archiving is just one small aspect of Henning Stibbe's job. He currently spends most of his time digitizing documents. "We are still at the scanning-in stage, which will continue for some time yet. But this is the only way we can make the documents available to other people," he explains. Around one million files, brochures, films and photographs are stacked up in his rooms in Munich. Some of these have already been digitized and are accessible online. By digitizing documents as well as photographs he can, for example, help vintage car enthusiasts who wish to restore their favorite old vehicles by sending them a link to download the operating manuals. Because in addition to preparing the historic material, Henning Stibbe also processes between five and ten requests each day. "I often receive MAN-related inquiries from vintage car lovers, journalists and museums as well as other colleagues. This is how I can help bring the history of the MAN brand to life and play my part in helping the customers too," explains Stibbe joyfully.
In his archive, Henning Stibbe handles all manner of documents such as old employee magazines, apprenticeship diplomas and patent documentation. However, for somebody who comes across unique documents on a daily basis, what discoveries would be considered particularly exciting? "I have found some special and rare original historical documents, dating back to when MAN first started out with commercial vehicle construction. Previously unknown photographs dating back to 1915 from Lindau am Bodensee. This was when I effectively rediscovered parts of our company's history. That was really something special," explains Mr. Stibbe.
Henning Stibbe has looked at many photographs as part of his work. Here is a picture gallery of his favorite discoveries:
If you require any historical operating manuals or other materials, please do not hesitate to contact Henning Stibbe by e-mail: Henning.Stibbe@man.eu
Join us on an illustrated tour of MAN’s history. Take part in the exciting adventures that the owners of our vehicles experience on their travels. You can also discover the latest highlights from MAN Bus and MAN Truck in our videos.
Join us on an illustrated tour of MAN’s history. Take part in the exciting adventures that the owners of our vehicles experience on their travels. You can also discover the latest highlights from MAN Bus and MAN Truck in our videos.