The memory of the fairground industry since 1883

Historical issues of Der Komet: showpeople, funfairs, people and their stories.

5.783 issues · 173.259 digitised pages

Research with AI

Your AI assistant. Our archive.

Connect ChatGPT, Claude or another MCP client to KOMET Archive. Search names and events, read full OCR texts and inspect original newspaper scans.

Search, OCR and scans are public. No archive login, API key or local server download is needed for the remote connection.

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Connect once, research again later

  1. Add a custom MCP server in your AI client.
  2. Save this URL and choose no authentication.
  3. Enable the saved KOMET Archive connection in new chats when needed.

MCP server URL · Streamable HTTP

https://komet-archiv.de/mcpChatGPT, Claude and other client guides

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Create projects, collect archive pages and write notes in the editor—even on your phone.

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Find phrases and historical spellings with controlled OCR and typo tolerance, and reliable year filters.

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Individual pages with original scans, readable OCR and permanent source links.

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Deutscher Schaustellerbund

Preserving and sharing cultural knowledge

A living fairground heritage

Fairground culture at German funfairs was added to Germany’s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2026. KOMET Archive helps preserve and explore the people, businesses, traditions and events behind this culture through original newspaper pages.

Read more at the German Commission for UNESCO →

The history of the fairground community

KOMET Archive · history since 1883

Der Komet has documented travelling showpeople, fairground businesses, funfairs and their communities since 1883. Reports, advertisements, family notices and photographs offer original sources for family history, local research and journalism. Wilhelm Neumann founded the newspaper in Pirmasens; its first official issue appeared on 6 October 1883.

Digitisation brings together the KOMET publishing house, the Deutscher Schaustellerbund e.V. (DSB) and its educational organisation, and KulturGut Volksfest gUG. The archive currently provides 5,783 issues and 173,259 pages, covering available years up to 2024.

Search and verify original sources

Use the full archive search for systematic research. OCR can contain errors, particularly in historical typefaces. Verify names and quotations against the scan and cite the issue date, page and permanent archive link. Historical source texts and scans retain their original language.

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Keep your research organised

Create a free account to collect pages in private projects and write formatted notes. PDF downloads of individual pages require one-time approval. The public HTML search and open API also support AI-assisted research.

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