Art for Architecture – Guided tour of the artworks (in english)
Guided tour
Photo: DNB, Stephan Jockel
begin 03.09.2025, 17:00
end 03.09.2025, 18:30
location Frankfurt am Main
As part of the “Kunst am Bau” (“Art for Architecture”) regulation, the library received distinguished works by German and international artists:
Per Kirkeby's brick sculpture frames the library forecourt, Georg Baselitz's work "Armalamor" greets visitors entering the library through the rotunda, and Ilya Kabakov's installation "Wings" adorns the staircase leading to the underground garage. Portraits of famous libraries by photographer Candida Höfer, a group of sculptures by Tobias Rehberger, and Jochen Gerz’s work Heimkehr der Erinnerung. Fragen für Walter Benjamin ("The Return of Memory. Questions for Walter Benjamin") can be explored in the non-public area of the library.
Art historian and librarian Ellen Kipple explains the meaning and background to the artworks and tells the stories of how they came to be created. All these narratives have definite links with library work.
Detailed information is provided in the richly illustrated volume “Zugabe. Kunst in der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt am Main” with texts by Ruth Langen-Wettengl and photographs by Stephan Jockel.
Information and contact
The tour takes place in English
Meeting Point: Entrance (Rotunda) to the German National Library in Frankfurt am Main
Costs: Free admission
Duration: 90 minutes
Booking: Online via the button above
Cloakroom info: Please leave your coats, jackets and bags in the cloakroom. To use the cloakroom lockers in Frankfurt am Main you will need two euros or four euros in two-euro coins, depending on the size of the locker. Instead of two-euro coins, you can also use tokens, which can be purchased at our automatic pay station using a debit or credit card. A combination of two-euro coins and tokens is also possible.
Accessibility: The area in which the event will be taking place is barrier-free accessible.
Contact: veranstaltungen@dnb.de
Address and getting here
German National Library
Adickesallee 1
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Getting here
We advise you to use public transport.
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 bike
The German National Library in Frankfurt am Main can easily be reached by bike. You can get to the DNB by taking the cycle paths on Adickesallee, Nibelungenallee, and Eckenheimer Landtraße.
Covered bicycle racks are located right at the main entrance.
3 / 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.
4 / Accessibility
The German National Library in Frankfurt am Main has designated disabled parking spaces in its car park and next to the building in Schlosserstraße. The Library's public rooms can be accessed by lift from the underground car park. Barrier-free access to the main entrance is also available from Schlosserstraße.
Last changes:
15.05.2025
