Navigation and service

29 March to 1 April 2024

The German National Library will be closed at both locations. The exhibitions of the German Museum of Books and Writing will open from 10:00 to 18:00.

About the German Museum of Books and Writing

The task of the German Museum of Books and Writing at the German National Library in Leipzig is to collect, exhibit, educate the public and carry out scientific work on testimonies to the history of books, writing and media. Founded in Leipzig in 1884 as the Deutsches Buchgewerbemuseum (German Book Trade Museum), it is the world’s oldest museum of book culture, while its scope and the quality of its holdings also make it one of the most important. Our permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey through 5,000 years of media history and tells the story of knowledge, censorship and freedom of opinion.

As a vibrant venue of cultural education, including and especially with disadvantaged groups, the Museum is also an academic documentation centre for book culture and media history at the heart of a strong network of research partners. Our offerings and services are intended for experts and the general public alike. One of the Museum’s main focus is to explore the role that books and writing still play even in the digital age.

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Provenance

Tiefenbohrung“ (“Deep Drilling“) marks the start of an intensive investigation by the German Museum of Books and Writing into the provenance of the holdings it has collected over more than 140 years.

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Find your story at the DBSM

The German Museum of Books and Writing (DBSM) tells one of the stories of humankind. The following film brings together deeply personal insights into the museum’s narratives and invites viewers to pinpoint their own identity within them. Digital or in person – looking back at the past and ahead to the future: find your story at the DBSM

Exhibitions

We offer a varied exhibition program that links book and media history with current social issues; this is offered not only on our premises in Leipzig but also online and in the form of touring exhibitions. These exhibitions draw on the wealth of artefacts in our museum collections. We see ourselves as a platform for topics relating to media history and are open to partnerships with other organisations.

In our permanent exhibition “Signs – Books – Networks: from Cuneiform to Binary Code”, you can explore 5,000 years of human media history and also take a look at the future of media. Our online exhibition on media history invites you to take a virtual journey through time. You can also seek inspiration from our temporary exhibitions on topics relating to books and media history.

Exhibitions are open from Tuesday to Sunday and on National Holidays 10:00–18:00, on Thursdays 10:00–20:00.

Cultural services

We regularly offer a wide variety of guided tours and events focusing on media history. You will find all the dates in our events calendar. Groups can make separate appointments on request.

Preschoolers, schoolchildren, families and adults: our Hands-On Museum has something for everyone. It offers a wide range of events relating to writing, books, printing and paper.

We also offer numerous points of contact with school curricula, for example in the subjects of German, history, general studies and religion. Educators can take part in training sessions on our premises.

AugenRausch – New podcast by the German Museum of Books and Writing

Visual arts for listeners: "AugenRausch", the new podcast by the German Museum of Books and Writing at the German National Library, will be launched in mid-March 2024. The podcast focuses on images as a source of knowledge: comics, manga, picture stories, illustrations, infographics, icons – the world is full of image-based knowledge.

AugenRausch

Collections

With more than one million objects, the media history collection of the German Museum of Books and Writing is one of the most extensive in the world.

Along with manuscripts, historic prints and modern book art, you will find a wide range of archival materials and legacies focusing on the history of books, writing and media, the world’s biggest watermark collection, graphics, decorated papers, early writing surfaces and implements, and book and paper-making machinery and equipment that go right up to the present day. The links integrated into the collections facilitate a complex, interdisciplinary approach to issues in cultural and media studies. At the same time, the Museum is a chamber of marvels containing objects that never fail to amaze.

Use and service

Our modern museum reading room provides access to our international specialised library and our treasury of more than one million objects for research, study and practical purposes.

Opening hours are from Monday to Sunday 10:00–18:00.

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Museum and research

We carry out research on our collections in cooperation with our partners in the fields of cultural studies, media studies and history. We hold seminars and workshops to further the education of up-and-coming researchers. Our digitisation and data projects are making a significant contribution to the digital humanities.

Contact

Exhibition, guided tours and events

Phone +49 341 2271-324

Using the Museum Reading Room

Phone +49 341 2271-318

Adress

German Museum of Books and Writing

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