Deutsche Nationalbibliothek German National Library Digital Collections DNB

Overview

The German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek; DNB) Digital Collections provide online access to the national library's digitised and born-digital holdings through its website. The DNB is Germany's central archival library, mandated to collect, permanently archive, and document all German and German-language publications since 1913, as well as foreign publications about Germany and works of German-speaking emigrants published between 1933 and 1945.

History and Founding

The German National Library originated with the founding of the Deutsche Bücherei in Leipzig in 1912, which began systematic collection from 1 January 1913. A sister institution, the Deutsche Bibliothek, was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1946 (formally 1947) during the post-war division of Germany. Following German reunification, the two institutions merged in 1990 to form a single entity. In 2006, a new law officially named the institution the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and expanded its collection mandate to include online publications. In February 2026, the DNB set a new record with 20 million online publications in its collection.

Collections and Holdings

With over 43 million media units, the DNB is the largest library in Germany. Its Leipzig location concentrates primarily on publications from 1913 to 1945, while Frankfurt specialises in post-1945 literature. Special collections include the Deutsches Exilarchiv 1933–1945 (German Exile Archive), the Anne-Frank-Shoah-Bibliothek, the Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum (German Museum of Books and Writing), and the Deutsches Musikarchiv (German Music Archive, housed in Leipzig). Digital access to the collections is provided through the online catalogue (accessible at no charge to any user), with freely available online publications downloadable directly. The DNB also serves as the depository for international organisations including the United Nations, UNESCO, EU, WTO, and WHO.

Access and Usage

Users worldwide can search the online catalogue and access freely available online publications via www.dnb.de. Physical access is available at reading rooms in both Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main. Publishers in Germany are required by law to deposit two physical copies or one file for online publications with the DNB.