Since 1996, the municipal archive has been located in the listed building of the so-called "Präparandie" (1894) of the former Prussian teacher training college. The town archive of Rüthen is a municipal institution. In this function it takes over the documents worthy of archiving (among other things documents, files, maps, plans, photos), which were created in the course of the administrative activities, for the purpose of their permanent storage and securing their preservation. This archive material is organized, recorded and indexed in order to make it usable for official, scientific, journalistic and private purposes.
In addition, the municipal archive collects documents of non-municipal origin (e.g. from associations, organizations, companies, farms, private persons), provided that these materials are of historical importance and have a connection to Rüthen and its localities. They are intended to supplement the official records in order to document as diverse a picture of the past as possible. In any case, the archive offers its free and non-binding advice on questions of preservation of this written material.
In addition to its traditional task as a 'memory' of the administration, the town archive sees itself in particular as a municipal service center for both the historically interested local citizen as well as foreign visitors and users - namely as a place of historical information and encounter and of contemporary historical work for the area of Rüthen and its surroundings.
Further explanation of the term Präparandie:
A preparatory school (or Präparandenschule), sometimes also called a Präparandie, was the lower level of elementary school teacher training from the 18th to the early 20th century. It prepared students for attendance at teacher training colleges, hence the name Präparand (Latin for someone who had to be prepared) for the students of this institution. Training began immediately after the end of elementary or secondary school.