Visitor Services

Archival holdings are spread across various locations and can be viewed in their corresponding reading rooms. You may use the materials in the archives once your registration has been validated. Please register by email or telephone.
Library holdings can be used and/or borrowed in the Pariser Platz reading room without prior registration.
Please note the information on usage in the section “Requesting Materials and Using the Archives”.

The archival holdings and art collection can be searched via the Archives Database. The database can only be used for information and research purposes. Archival materials may be requested by email or in person at the reading room.
There are also finding aids in the reading room that can be used to search for holdings that are not yet included in the Archives Database.
Further information on conducting research and refining search techniques can be found in the FAQ section.

As an additional resource, the Archives have set up a digital showcase at digital.adk.de, presenting a selection of images of manuscripts, books, photographs, models, paintings, drawings and audio documents.

The library holdings can be searched via the electronic library catalogue OPAC, which can be used to request media directly.

Licensed databases that can search the Akademie der Künste Library are available in the reading rooms.

If you wish to use archival materials, you must register in advance via the Archives Database and submit an application for the current calendar year. More about the registration process is available in the FAQ section.

If you would like to request media from the library holdings or, if need be, borrow materials from elsewhere, you must register in the electronic library catalogue OPAC.

This information on requests and visitor protocols relates to the Main Reading Room located at Robert-Koch-Platz and the Reading Room at the Pariser Platz venue. Please contact the relevant reading room to enquire about the conditions that apply for requesting materials at the other locations.

You can request archival materials by filling out a call slip on-site. Requests are processed at the retrieval times, 10 am and 1 pm. On the first day of your visit, you can pre-request up to five call numbers by emailing the individual reading room (benutzung@adk.de or lesesaalpariserplatz@adk.de). Requests must be received by 1 pm on the previous working day.

There are extended availability times for requests from the external storage facility (located on Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee).

The use of certain items or individual archival materials may be restricted or temporarily unavailable for legal or conservational reasons. Before visiting the reading rooms, please check that the resource you want is accessible.

Media requested from the library are normally held available at the Pariser Platz location. Requests are to be submitted electronically via the OPAC.

To register with the reading rooms, you should bring your ID card or another document validating your identity.

You may take writing pads, notebooks, laptops and similar devices with you into the reading room. To protect the original materials, only pencils are permitted as writing implements. Wi-Fi and power outlets can be used free of charge.

Archival materials that have been digitised or microfilmed are generally only available for use in this form.

For legal reasons, no filming is permitted and no photographs may be taken in the reading rooms.

There are lockers provided for your coats and bags. These require a 1 euro coin.

No mobile phones and no food or drinks are permitted in the reading rooms.

Anyone using the Archives at the Akademie der Künste may request reproductions. Detailed information can be found here:

Further information is listed in the FAQ section. If you have any other questions, please contact us at benutzung@adk.de or via phone (T +49(0)30-200 57-32 47).