Photo: Deutsches Museum
Personal Papers
The collection of personal papers is one of the most significant collections in the Deutsches Museum Archives. There are currently around 370 collections of outstanding scientists, technicians, engineers, and inventors. The collection includes numerous personal papers of Nobel laureates in physics and chemistry.
Collection Focus
- Aerospace
- Computer Engineering and Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Transport and Engineering
[Translate to English:] Drei Physikerkollegen – Max Born, Rudolf Ladenburg und Ernst von Angerer – schreiben an ihren Lehrer Arnold Sommerfeld (1868-1951), 25.11.1916. Signatur: NL 089/059. Photo: Deutsches Museum
Additionally, the archive preserves a series of personal papers from historians of science. The majority of these holdings date from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. The archive remains actively interested in acquiring significant personal papers.
Personal papers constitute a vital historical source. They enrich official institutional records with an individual perspective and offer an immediate glimpse into the history of research, invention, and innovation. The correspondence frequently included in these holdings provides essential insights into communication among scholars, while simultaneously illuminating the professional networks of the individuals concerned.