German National Library facts for kids
The German National Library (called Deutsche Nationalbibliothek or DNB) is Germany's main library. It also acts as the national center for keeping track of all published works. Its job is to collect, save, and list all books, magazines, and other publications from Germany since 1913. It also collects foreign works about Germany, translations of German books, and works by German-speaking people who lived abroad between 1933 and 1945. All these materials are then made available for everyone to use.
The German National Library works with other libraries in Germany and around the world. It helps create rules for how libraries organize information. Publishers in Germany are required by law to send copies of their works to the library. The library has two main locations: one in Leipzig and one in Frankfurt am Main. Each location has special collections. There is also a third part, the Deutsches Musikarchiv Berlin, which collects all kinds of music, both printed and recorded.
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How the Library Started
Plans for a German national library began way back in 1848. However, these plans were not continued for a long time. The books that had already been collected were stored in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg.
In 1912, the city of Leipzig, which was famous for its book fair, decided to create a German National Library. They worked with the Kingdom of Saxony and the Association of German Booksellers. From January 1, 1913, they started collecting all publications in the German language. This included books from Austria and Switzerland. Dr. Gustav Wahl became the first director that same year.
After World War II, in 1946, a group of people started a new German archive library in Frankfurt am Main. The city of Frankfurt supported this new library. The US military government also approved it. This meant Germany ended up with two national libraries. One was for East Germany (in Leipzig) and the other for West Germany (in Frankfurt). Both libraries created similar lists of all published works.
In July 2000, the Deutsches Musikarchiv (DMA) in Berlin also became the main place for GEMA, a German music copyright group. This meant music publishers only needed to send copies to the DMA. This covered both national archiving and copyright registration. About 210,000 printed music works from GEMA were moved to the DMA.
When Germany became one country again on October 3, 1990, the two libraries in Leipzig and Frankfurt joined together. They became one new institution called "Die Deutsche Bibliothek." A new law in 2006 officially changed the name to "Deutsche Nationalbibliothek" (German National Library). This law also made it possible to collect and save online publications as part of Germany's cultural heritage.
Deutsches Musikarchiv Berlin
52°26′19.25″N 13°19′42.82″E / 52.4386806°N 13.3285611°E The Deutsches Musikarchiv Berlin (DMA) is Germany's main place for collecting printed music and recorded music. It also provides information about music. It was started in 1970. Its job is to collect all music published in Germany. Before this, it was called the Deutsche Musik-Phonothek (from 1961 to 1969).
The DMA is located in Berlin's Lichterfelde area. It is a part of the German National Library. The DMA is planned to move to Leipzig in the future. It will be housed in a new part of the German National Library building there. Construction work for this began in 2006.
Since 1973, German publishers of printed and recorded music must send two copies of every new edition to the archive. One copy stays at the DMA in Berlin. The second copy is kept in the music collection of the German National Library in Leipzig.
The Leipzig Building
51°19′20.44″N 12°23′48.11″E / 51.3223444°N 12.3966972°E
The main building of the German National Library in Leipzig was built between 1914 and 1916. The architect who designed it was Oskar Pusch. The front of the building is very impressive. It is 160 meters long and faces a place called "Deutscher Platz."
The building opened on October 19, 1916. This was one day after a monument for the Battle of the Nations was opened. The city of Leipzig gave the land for the library. The king of Saxony, Friedrich August III, provided the money to build it.
On the front of the building, you can see pictures of famous people like Otto von Bismarck, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Johannes Gutenberg. There are also statues that represent things like Technology, Justice, Philosophy, and Medicine. Inside, the main reading room has a beautiful picture by Ludwig von Hofmann. It shows a scene called Arcadia in an Art Nouveau style. The library also has a museum dedicated to books and letters.
What the Library Holds
The German National Library has a huge collection of items.
- In total, it holds about 24.1 million items.
- Leipzig: 14.3 million items
- Frankfurt am Main: 8.3 million items
- Berlin: 1.5 million items
Related pages
- Bavarian State Library
- Berlin State Library
- Integrated Authority File
Images for kids
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The original building of the German National Library in Leipzig from 1914
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Nacional de Alemania para niños
