The Topotheque is an online archive, a regional historical source of reference, focusing on not only preserving historical material kept in private hands but making it visible to the public. Topotheques already exist in a number of different European countries. This allows for a comparison of regional historical conditions on a European level, making the diversity and common grounds of every-day life tangible. As a virtual collection, the Topotheque is easily expandable and doesn’t have to comply with editorial deadlines or page limits. A Topotheque is a joint project between the respective operating institution (e.g. municipality) and ICARUS, whereby the project partners also share tasks and costs.