Memory of the nation

The German National Library is Germany's central archival library. We collect, document and archive all text, image and audio publications issued in Germany since 1913 together with media works that were compiled in the German language or relate to Germany. Books, journals, CDs, records, maps, online publications – we collect them all without exception, without bias and in the original. The collection is supplemented by the holdings in the German Music Archive, the German Museum of Books and Writing and the German Exile Archive 1933–1945. 

More about the collection mandate

A law for the German National Library

Our tasks are defined in the Law regarding the German National Library (DNBG). This law also stipulates that anyone who publishes anything in Germany must send two copies of the physical media works to us, or one file in the case of online publications. We ensure that these media works are stored permanently and can be found and used. The German National Library is a federal institution with legal capacity under public law and is funded from the budget of the Minister of State for Culture and Media.

More legal information

Present and inspire

We offer users access to all our holdings at both sites in Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main. Anyone interested can search for information in our catalogue, view the full text of open access publications online, and have the system display the content pages of many titles no matter where they are in the world.

We see ourselves as a scientific, educational and cultural institution and offer our guests a varied programme of exhibitions, events, guided tours and educational services.

Document and disseminate

One of our central tasks is the cataloguing of all media works we collect. This is the basis for finding and using holdings in our catalogue. The data generated is also incorporated into the “Deutsche Nationalbibliografie”. Our metadata services ensure that our metadata is made available free of charge anywhere in the world under Creative Commons Zero conditions (CC0 1.0).

Cooperate and network

Together with our national and international partners, we develop innovative library standards as the basis for a world of knowledge that has no borders. In dialogue with other institutions, we are involved in projects designed to preserve and digitalise our cultural heritage and make it visible. Their scope ranges from the long-term preservation of digital media works through measures to conserve books and sound carriers to support for digital libraries such as the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (DDB).

Our history

The German National Library was formed from several preceding institutions:
the Deutsche Bücherei was founded in Leipzig in 1912, while the Deutsche Bibliothek was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1947. The German Music Archive was integrated in 1970 as a department of the Deutsche Bibliothek in Frankfurt. In 1990, in the wake of the reunification of Germany, the Deutsche Bücherei and the Deutsche Bibliothek were amalgamated to form a single institution. The two locations in Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main remain in operation. In 2006, we were given the new name "Deutsche Nationalbibliothek" (German National Library) and our legal mandate was extended to include digital media.

Video: Das Gedächtnis der Nation: 100 Jahre Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (only available in German)

The German National Library in figures

Statistics 2023 (only available in German)