Photo: Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum Institutional Archive
The records document the museum’s history, provide insight into how objects were acquired, and bear witness to the museum’s international influence since 1925.
A Treasure Trove for Museum History
[Translate to English:] Wunschliste zur Wärmelehre von Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, ca. 1905. Photo: Deutsches Museum
The primary mission of archives is the appraisal, accessioning, safeguarding, and permanent preservation of official records that are no longer required for day-to-day administrative operations. Archives serve as memory institutions, documenting the administrative actions and decisions of organizations.
The administrative records of the Deutsches Museum constitute a key primary source for the history of the institution. They encompass records from the museum's founding in 1903 up to the year 1992; more recent records are held in the museum’s central registry.
The administrative archive is broadly divided into the following categories:
- Subject files
- Curatorial and departmental correspondence
- Financial and foundation administration
- Building and construction files
- Departmental files
- Printed publications of the Deutsches Museum
- Membership card index