Small Collections

The 51 subcollections (as of 2021) grouped under Small Collection often contain a mixture of original works and secondary material.

[Translate to English:] Filmrollen aus der Sammlung Gert Koshofer. Photo: Deutsches Museum München | Hans-Joachim Becker

Composition of the Collections

Each individual acquisition is linked by a specific thematic focus. Another characteristic of the Small Collections is that the individual holdings are generally closely related to the Deutsches Museum’s object collections, its collection strategy and research areas, and its research projects.

[Translate to English:] Speicherchip von Samsung, ca. 1990, Mikrofotografie im Bestand zur Konstruktionsanalyse der 4-Mbit-DRAM der Firma Siemens. Signatur KE 013/002. Photo: Deutsches Museum München

Examples

To give a few examples: Various training and documentation materials on computers and computing systems (including the Telefunken TR 4 / 440 mainframe, the SUPRENUM computing system, and materials on the design analysis of memory modules manufactured by Siemens), an astronomical image collection by the Viennese astronomer Oswald Thomas (1882–1963), the collection relating to EGIG (International Glaciological Greenland Expedition), the Central Article Catalogue of the GDR’s National Economy, particularly covering the fields of electrical and thermal energy, and the Gert Koshofer collection on the history, technology and market of analogue colour photography.