Navigation and service

The German National Library in Frankfurt am Main offers you a total of four reading rooms, each with a different atmosphere and dedicated to a very wide range of different subjects. The German Exile Archive also awaits you here. Everything you need to know about using them during your visit can be found on this page.

General information about registration, fees, user services and the ordering and accessing of media can be found here.

Are you looking for a specific title or edition? Then you can search directly in our catalogue:
Catalogue of the German National Library

Welcome to the German National Library!

If you would like to spend your time in the Frankfurt am Main area studying, working, reading or listening to recordings at the library, you will find the following information useful.We will gladly issue you a library card. This will not cost you anything. You can renew the library card if necessary. In order to register, you will need to show us a valid passport and written confirmation of where you are staying. Registration is open to users aged 16 and over. If you are a minor, you will need a completed declaration of consent (only available in German) and the personal ID of a parent or guardian, either the original or a copy (front and back).

  • The German National Library mainly collects and preserves literature in the German language. For the most part, the only works available in other languages are translations from German or works that deal with Germany or prominent figures from the German-speaking countries.
  • The German National Library is an archival library. You can only use the media in the library's reading rooms. They cannot be taken out of the library.
  • We will gladly issue you a library card. This will not cost you anything. You can renew the library card if necessary. In order to register, you will need to show us a valid passport and written confirmation of where you are staying
  • Media have to be ordered through our catalogue.
    The media you order will be available the next working day. They will be kept for you for 14 days and can be used in the reading rooms for up to six weeks.
  • Wi-fi is available everywhere in the building. You can use the internet in the reading rooms.

Opening hours

Exhibition “Exile. Experience and Testimony” to close temporarily

The permanent exhibition “Exile. Experience and Testimony” will be closed from 21 October to 4 December 2024 while the area is being redesigned. We look forward to welcoming you again from December.

Please note our changed hours of service from 1 November 2024.

Reading rooms

Monday to Friday 9:00–22:00
Saturday 10:00–18:00

Information

Monday to Friday 9:00–16:00

Registration, media issue

Monday to Friday 9:00–20:00
Saturday 10:00–18:00

Reading room of the German Exile Archive 1933–1945

Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00

Closing times in Frankfurt am Main

The German National Library in Frankfurt am Main is closed on the following days: Sundays, statutory national holidays, the Saturday before Easter, Corpus Christi and from 24 December to 1 January.

Exhibitions in the German Exile Archive 1933–1945

Monday to Friday 9:00–21:30
Saturday 10:00–17:30

The opening hours of temporary exhibitions may vary.

To the exhibitions

Contact

Information

Submit enquiry

Phone +49 69 1525-2500
Fax +49 69 1525-2520

Issues desk

Submit enquiry

Phone +49 69 1525-2510
Fax +49 69 1525-2520

German Exile Archive 1933–1945

exilarchiv-benutzung@dnb.de

Phone +49 69 1525-1901
Fax +49 69 1525-1959

All subjects

How to find us

Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Adickesallee 1
60322 Frankfurt am Main


1 / By public transport

By rail

From the main railway station (underground level), take the U5 in the direction of Preungesheim and get off at the stop “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”. Journey time approx. 10 minutes.

By plane

From the airport (regional station), take S-Bahn S8 in the direction of Hanau or the S9 in the direction of Offenbach and get off at “Konstablerwache”. Change to the U5 in the direction of Preungesheim and get off at the stop “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”. Journey time approx. 30 minutes.

By bus

The “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek” bus stop is served by the number M32 bus.

2 / By car

The address for navigation devices is Eckenheimer Landstraße 165. The building is accessed from the underground car park. The maximum entrance height is 2.0 m.

Approaching from the west

Take the A66 to the end of the autobahn in Miquelallee and follow the signs for Fulda/Hanau; at the third intersection, turn right into Eckenheimer Landstraße in the direction of the city centre; follow the signs and turn right into the underground car park.

Approaching from the north

Take the A661 to the Eckenheim exit, get into the lane for the city centre/Eckenheim, continue straight on to the third major set of traffic lights and cross these. The entrance to the underground car park is located at the German National Library building around 100 metres further on the right.

Parking

Our car park has 100 parking spaces for visitors on the first basement floor.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 6:00 to 22:00, Saturday 8:00 to 18:00.
Fees: 2.00 Euro/hour, cash or card payment.
The permanent rental of parking spaces is not possible.

For on-street parking spaces in the Holzhausenviertel district, the City of Frankfurt of Main charges 50 cents per quarter hour or part thereof from Monday to Friday between 7:00 and 19:00.

Construction work

The media issues area in the Frankfurt reading room will be renovated and updated starting from 18 October 2024, with the work set to continue until the end of March 2025.

Find out more about the latest developments

Access for persons with disabilities

The German National Library in Frankfurt am Main has designated disabled parking spaces in its car park and next to the building in Schlosserstraße.
Disabled users whose disability ID cards contain the codes “AG” or “BI” are exempt from parking fees. To make use of this service, please show your disability ID and library card at reception. You will then receive a free exit ticket for the underground car park.

The Library's public rooms can be accessed by elevator from the underground car park. Barrier-free access to the main entrance is also available from Schlosserstraße.

Access to the reading room is level. The various floors of the reading rooms and the public area including the restaurant and cafeteria are all accessible by ramp or elevator. WCs for the disabled are located in the main reading room, the periodical reading room and the rotunda near the cafeteria.

If you are dependent on assistance, a free library card will be issued for your companion at the registration desk. Guide dogs are permitted.

Workstations for persons with disabilities

The main reading room has two freely accessible workstations with height-adjustable tables for disabled users. If you require assistance, please ask staff at the information desk.

Workstations for the blind and partially sighted

The multimedia reading room has one workstation specially designed for blind people and another for the partially sighted. Here you can search the catalogue and make use of the collections and internet. These PC workstations are equipped with the following:

  • DIN A3 scanner with OCR software
  • Braille keyboard
  • Jaws for Windows with text-to-speech output
  • ZoomText magnifying software
  • “VIG Keys” high-visibility keyboard
  • Optelec ClearView magnifier

Please make an appointment for an introductory session.

blindenarbeitsplaetze-f@dnb.de
Phone +49 69 1525-2500

You should start working at these workstations during the information desk’s hours of service.

Reading rooms and their collections

Layout of reading rooms in Frankfurt am Main 424kB, PDF - Not barrier-free file.

Main reading room

Here you will find the registration desk at which library cards are issued and extended. Fees can be paid in cash or by debit or credit card at the automatic pay station.

The issues desk keeps the publications ordered through the catalogue ready for use in the reading rooms, issues them and accepts their return. The qualified staff at the information desk provide information on registering, searching the catalogue, the reference collection, issuing and using electronic publications and much more.

Reading room collection – main reading room

You can use the computers in the reading room to access the catalogue and full texts of online resources such as e-books, music files, digitized works, e-papers and databases.
More

The electronic publications (e.g. CD-ROMs, audio CDs or DVDs) ordered through the catalogue are made available at designated computers.

Internet access at the stationary workstations is free of charge, as is WLAN (DNB network and eduroam), which can be used on your own mobile devices.

Multimedia reading room

Part of the reference library of the German Exile Archive 1933-1945 comprising literature on emigration is located in the multimedia reading room.

You can use the computers in the reading room to access the catalogue and full texts of online resources such as e-books, music files, digitised works, e-papers and databases. More

The electronic publications (e.g. CD-ROMs, audio CDs or DVDs) ordered are made available at designated computers.

Sound carriers such as records or audio cassettes, videos and slides from the German National Library's collection may be used in the Mediathek during the information desk's hours of service.

A workstation for the blind and partially sighted is also provided.

Internet access at the stationary workstations is free of charge, as is WLAN (DNB network and eduroam), which can be used on your own mobile devices.

Periodical reading room

The last two volumes of around 860 journals in all fields of knowledge can be found in the periodical reading room. Older editions must be ordered.

Reading room collection – periodical reading room

A selection of major national daily newspapers are also available in print format. The issues for the current and previous months are put out on display.
List of daily newspapers

You can use the computers in the reading room to access the catalogue and full texts of online resources such as e-books, music files, digitised works, e-papers and databases. More

The internet can be accessed free of charge using WLAN (DNB network and eduroam) on your own devices.

Reading room of the German Exile Archive 1933–1945

The German Exile Archive’s collections are made available in a separate reading room. Non-printed documents from the German Exile Archive 1933–1945 can only be used after giving prior notice.
Special terms of use apply due to personality rights and copyright regulations.

Documents relating to living people may only be viewed with their permission.

Reading room collection – German Exile Archive

Copying and photography

In the user areas, you can make paper copies at various machines against payment of a fee or store scans of printed media on USB sticks. Microfiches can be re-enlarged at the reader scanners.

  • The following fees are charged per page:
  • DIN A4 black/white 0.10 Euro
  • DIN A3 black/white 0.20 Euro
  • DIN A4 colour 0.50 Euro
  • DIN A3 colour 1.00 Euro
  • Digital copy 0.05 Euro

Please refer to our fee schedule for other fees.
For all fees incurrend, please top up your user card at the pay station.

You are permitted to take photographs of media works (except sheet music). Please handle media with care. When taking photographs in the reading room, please refrain from using flash or tripods and avoid disturbing others.

You as the user are responsible for observing and complying with copyright regulations.

The storage of excerpts from electronic publications is not permitted.

We prepare digital or paper copies of works in accordance with the applicable copyright regulations (§ 53 und § 60e) and in line with our collection preservation guidelines. Please send us your reproduction request via the order form.
You will find further information at the help page.

Refreshments

Self-service restaurant “Rob’s Kulinarium” at the German National Library in Frankfurt am Main

“Rob’s Kulinarium” in the German National Library offers a varied selection of drinks and meals including vegetarian and vegan dishes.
In order to protect our collections, you are only permitted to eat and drink in the food area.

The library restaurant in Frankfurt am Main is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:00. The cafeteria will remain closed.

Opening hours

Public restaurant
Monday to Friday: 08:00–16:00
The cafeteria is closed.

Contact

betriebsrestaurant-dnb@gmx.de

Phone +49 69 977 655 17

Wöchentlicher Speiseplan (only available in german)

Further information

Last changes: 05.11.2024
Contact: info-f@dnb.de

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