Archives and Library
The archival and library holdings of the Akademie der Künste, which are spread across various locations, are available free of charge in the respective reading rooms for academic, journalistic or private studies.
Reading room at Pariser Platz
© Katja Strauß
The Akademie der Künste Library is one of the largest interdisciplinary specialist libraries on culture and modernist arts. It houses a collection of 650,000 volumes from every artistic discipline, as well as outstanding special collections. With its extremely valuable 400 private libraries of writers, theatre makers, composers and artists, it also invites visitors to discover rare writings and elaborately designed artists’ books.
The Archives of the Akademie der Künste are considered the most important interdisciplinary archives for modernist arts and culture in the German-speaking world. Users have access to over 1,200 archives of artists from all disciplines, holdings from 49 institutions and associations, and 80 thematic collections.
Visit
The library is open to everyone, and the holdings are available to the public free of charge. Some parts of the library holdings are for reference only.
Free guided tours of the library are offered regularly. Current dates are listed in the programme.
The archival holdings of the Akademie der Künste are dispersed among various locations and can only be viewed in the respective reading rooms. Please register in advance by email or phone. The use of archival materials is only possible with a confirmed reservation.
Please note that individual holdings or items may be restricted or temporarily unavailable for use for legal reasons or conservation concerns. For inquiries about the availability of archival materials, contact Visitor Services in advance.
Opening Hours
Library at the Pariser Platz Venue
Mon–Thur, 10 am – 4 pm
Reading Room at the Pariser Platz Venue
Architectural Archives
Mon–Thur, 10 am – 4 pm
Main Reading Room at Robert-Koch-Platz
Visual Arts Archives, Music Archives, Literature Archives, Performing Arts Archives, Film and Media Arts Archives, Historical Archives
Mon–Wed, 9 am – 5 pm
Thur, 9 am – 7 pm
Fri, 9 am – 5 pm
Study Room at Luisenstraße
Art Collection
By individual appointment
Reading Room at Luisenstraße
Walter Benjamin Archive
Mon–Fri, 10 am – 5 pm
Reading Rooms at Chausseestraße
Bertolt Brecht Archive
Tue–Thur, 9 am – 4 pm
Fri, 9 am – 3 pm
Contact and Directions
Akademie der Künste Library
Pariser Platz 4
10117 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 200 57 1608
bibliothek@adk.de
Reading Room at the Pariser Platz Venue
Pariser Platz 4
10117 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 200 57 1560
F +49 (0)30 200 57 1516
lesesaalpariserplatz@adk.de
Public Transportation
S- & U-Bahn Station Brandenburger Tor: S1, S2, S25, S26, U5
Bus: 100, 300
Main Reading Room
Robert-Koch-Platz 10
10115 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 200 57 3247
F +49 (0)30 200 57 3102
benutzung@adk.de
Public Transportation
S- & U-Bahn Station Hauptbahnhof: S3, S5, S7, S75, S9, U5
U-Bahn Station Naturkundemuseum: U6
Bus: 120, 142, 147, 245
Tram: M5, M8, M10, 12
Art Collection
Luisenstraße 60
10117 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 200 57 4000
F +49 (0)30 200 57 4033
kunstsammlung@adk.de
Walter Benjamin Archive
Luisenstraße 60
10117 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 200 57 4056
F +49 (0)30 200 57 4048
walterbenjaminarchiv@adk.de
Public Transportation
S- & U-Bahn Station Hauptbahnhof: S3, S5, S7, S75, S9, U5
U-Bahn Station Naturkundemuseum: U6
Bus: 120, 142, 245
Tram: M5, M8, M10, 12
Bertolt Brecht Archive
Chausseestraße 125
10115 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 200 57 1800
F +49 (0)30 200 57 1833
bertoltbrechtarchiv@adk.de
Public Transportation
S-Bahn Station Nordbahnhof: S1, S2, S25, S26
U-Bahn Station Naturkundemuseum: U6
Bus: 120, 142, 247
Tram: M1, M5, M8, M10, 12
Accessibility
The reading rooms at Pariser Platz and Robert-Koch-Platz have limited barrier-free access.
The buildings at Luisenstraße and Chausseestraße do not provide barrier-free access. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us: inklusion@adk.de.
Detailed information on accessibility to the Reading Room at Pariser Platz can be found here.
Detailed information on accessibility to the Main Reading Room at Robert-Koch-Platz can be found below.
The Akademie building on Robert-Koch-Platz can be reached by public transportation. To make it easier for visitors with disabilities to access this location, we recommend using the VBB bus and train assistance service provided by Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg.
Parking spaces for people with disabilities are available nearby.
The walking route to the entrance is easily passable with some minor restrictions (uneven paving stones and a slight incline to the pavement). The threshold to the entrance door is 2 cm high. The entrance door opens automatically at the press of a button and is 80 cm wide. Upon request, the reception personnel can also open the second wing of the door. The width of the doorway is then 160 cm.
In the entrance lobby, there is a 7 m long, 120 cm wide ramp with handrails on both sides at a slope of approximately 6%, or a three-step stair. In front of the ramp, there is an area of at least 120 x 120 cm.
The reception desk is 105 cm high at its lowest point.
All passageways are at least 80 cm wide.
The Reading Room is located on the first upper floor. There are lifts. Each lift has an area of 120 x 100 cm, with an entrance width of 87 cm. There is a large open area in front of the lifts. The lift buttons are raised and in Braille. An emergency telephone is located next to the alarm button in the lift. There are only acoustic alarm signals. The distance from the lift to the Reading Room is approximately 14 metres.
The doors to the Reading Room and the reception area are 82 cm wide. The reception desk in the Reading Room is 74 cm high at its lowest point. The work tables are 72.5 cm high and are wheelchair accessible. The distance from the Reading Room to the checkroom is about 25 m. The door to the checkroom area is 82 cm wide. There are lockers of various sizes at different heights, which can be locked (deposit: 1 euro coin).
A break area with seating is on-site. Its table is low and cannot be accessed by a wheelchair.
Certified assistance dogs are allowed in the Reading Room. Please inform us when you register if you will be bringing a service dog with you.
There is an accessible toilet in the women’s restroom on the first upper floor. The distance from the Reading Room to the restroom is about 30 metres. The door to the toilet cubicle is 93 cm wide. There is a space of 96 x 200 cm in front of the toilet and 85 x 125 cm in the cubicle in front of the sink. To the left of the toilet, there is 114 cm of space. On both sides of the toilet, there are folding grab rails. The sink is wheelchair accessible. The mirror is not visible from a sitting position. An alarm can be triggered from inside the toilet cubicle.