Interdisciplinarity between Informatics, Economics and Culture. A History of the Heinz Nixdorf Institute

Heinz Nixdorf, one of the biggest names among German computer manufacturers, initiated the foundation of an institute between informatics, business and culture with its commitment to funding in February 1986. The institute was established on 23 July 1987 after both the Federal Republic of Germany and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia each pledged the sum of 50 million marks. Named after Heinz Nixdorf, the institute was commissioned to carry out interdisciplinary research and training in computer science, engineering and economics - including the natural sciences and the social and cultural sciences. It therefore had a bridging function both in the economy and in the university. It is a paradigmatic example of an era of public-private partnerships in the field of the history of computing, as the costs of digitalisation and its necessity for knowledge creation could not be borne by the state nor the economy alone. However, the history of such interdisciplinary research institutes, especially in the field of computer science, has hardly been researched to date. As part of the project, initial sources for this endeavour are being explored, from annual reports and internal correspondence to oral history interviews. These will be used to create a digital history application and a report that will provide an overview of the institute's history.