General Search

The Bavarica collection from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) and the regional state libraries comprises almost all publications issued in Bavaria in the early modern period and the 19th century, as well as all publications with a Bavarian connection worldwide, and is thus unique in its scope and completeness. The service makes it possible to search 78,000 full texts.

The Historische Lexikon Bayerns (Historical Encyclopaedia of Bavaria) is an exclusively online, constantly expanding encyclopaedia on the history of Bavaria and is regarded as the central scholarly reference work on all questions of Bavarian, Franconian, Swabian and Palatine regional history from the beginnings to the present day.

The database provides short biographies of the office holders of almost all branches of the Bavarian state administration between November 1918 and May 1945 – from the Minister-President to the directors of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library). The database was designed and compiled by Joachim Lilla.

The picture archive presents photographs from estates, photo archives and libraries focusing on Bavaria, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and other topics such as music, the Orient, Asia and Eastern Europe. Initially founded in 1985 as a portrait collection, the picture archive is one of the largest picture collections in public institutions.

The Literaturportal Bayern (Bavarian Literature Portal) provides a comprehensive overview of the literary state of Bavaria, authors and literary events and offers information on literary institutions, prizes, bequests, a calendar of events and much more.

The location database contains over 90,000 entries on towns, municipalities, districts and other administrative units as well as forests, bodies of water and mountains in Bavaria, where not only Bavaria’s current topography and administrative divisions are mapped, but also its historical relationships between 1875 and 1978.

The Bayerische Bibliographie lists all German and foreign-language publications related to Bavaria as fully as possible since 1988, and in some cases earlier. It is a joint project by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) with several university and state libraries.

The Staatsbibliothek Bamberg (State Library Bamberg) is a general library, regional library and research library with a distinct focus on the humanities and cultural studies. Its holdings include manuscripts and old prints from the convents and monasteries of the bishopric of Bamberg, which were dissolved in 1802/03, the old University of Bamberg, which was also annulled in 1802/03, and the Court Library of Duke Karl II. August of Pfalz-Zweibrücken. Other holdings come from bequests of Bamberg citizens. Since 1987, it has been receiving statutory copies of all works published in Upper Franconia.

The Kommission für bayerische Landesgeschichte bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Commission for Bavarian Regional History at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences) was founded in 1927 as a research institution for the coordination and realisation of long-term basic research on the history of Bavaria and of its diverse parts.

The Universitätsbibliothek München (University Library of the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich) is the central media and information supplier of the Ludwig Maximilian University. Its holdings of almost five million volumes is one of the largest of the university library systems in Germany. The Universitätsbibliothek München comprises also over 3,300 manuscripts, 3,600 incunabula, over 180 decedents' estates, numerous special collections and c.475,000 prints, published between 1501 and 1900, and thus a highly notable historical book inventory, the second largest in the free state of Bavaria.

The Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg (University Library Augsburg) is a central institution of the university of Augsburg and the greatest academic library in the Swabian district of Bavaria. Its largest audience consists of the students, scholars and teachers of the University of Augsburg. All other users interested in the books, journals and additional media are welcome.

The Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst (State Museum of Egyptian Art) is one of the most important Egyptian museums worldwide. Its focus is on works of art, in particular the three-dimensional sculptural works of ancient Egypt. All eras, from pre-history over the classical periods of the Old, Middle and New Empires up to the Late Period and the Greek and Roman times are presented by means of monuments. In addition, the cultures of ancient Sudan (Nubia) as well as of the Coptic period of late antiquity are represented, complemented by Egyptianising works of art from the Roman Empire and monumental reliefs from Assyrian Mesopotamia.

The Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen-Nürnberg (University Library of the Friedrich Alexander University, FAU) constitutes the library system of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and is the regional library for the administrative district of central Franconia. As an academic universal library, it offers its users a wide range of special literature from all faculties as well as numerous services.

The collection presents a selection of digitised manuscripts from the important library of the Princes of Oettingen-Wallerstein, which was acquired by the Free State of Bavaria in 1980 and whose holdings are now kept in the Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg (University Library Augsburg).

bavarikon presents particularly valuable works from the university library holdings, such as the Moosburg Gradual, the Ingolstadt Songbook and the House Book of Michael de Leone.

The Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) are responsible for a substantial part of the painting and art collection of the Free State of Bavaria as well as the corresponding museums in Munich: the Alte Pinakothek, the Neue Pinakothek, the Modern Art Collection in the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Schack Collection and thirteen State Galleries throughout Bavaria. The stock includes more than 30,000 works of art, especially Paintings, but also sculptures, photographs and installations.

The Institut für Volkskunde (Institute of Folklore Studies) conducts research into the everyday culture of the population at large from a historical and contemporary perspective, with a regional focus on Bavaria. Like today’s Bayerischer Landesverein für Heimatpflege (Bavarian State Association for the Preservation of Local History), it has its roots in the "Verein für Volkskunst und Volkskunde" (Association for Folk Art and Folklore) founded in Munich in 1902. It has been affiliated with the Commission for Bavarian Regional History at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities in its capacity as a non-university research institution for folklore since 1962.

The Staatliche Münzsammlung (State Coin Collection) originated with Duke Albrecht V von Bayern (1550–1579). In connection with the Kunstkammer founded by Albrecht a collection of coins was started and continued under his successor. The tasks of the Staatliche Münzsammlung include the collecting, conservation, processing and display of the testimonials of monetary history and of related fields for all regions and eras with Bavaria as its important focus.

The Deutsches Theatermuseum (German Theatre Museum) has the task to preserve theatrical/scenic memory through its collections, which are of considerable international importance. Beyond the important tasks of collecting, preserving and analysing, the work of the museum also consists in the dissemination of information about the preserved material to the widest possible audience by way of exhibitions and publications.

The Historischer Verein von Oberbayern (Historical Association of Upper Bavaria) promotes historical scholarship and research on the levels of state, region and city, the preservation of cultural heritage, of history, art and culture, and disseminates the historical knowledge regarding Upper Bavaria to a wide audience. The Association was founded in 1837.

The collection includes works from the extensive estate of Johann Georg von Dillis (1759-1841), the Bavarian town views by Carl August Lebschée (1800-1877) as well as a large number of drawings, prints and photographs on topographical themes, events and people.

The Deutsches Theatermuseum (German Theatre Museum) owns an extensive collection of drawings and prints depicting Baroque theatre and festive culture, including stage decoration and scene designs, costume and type pictures, portraits of roles and civilians as well as views of theatre buildings, venues and theatrical machinery.

The Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg (Art Collections of the Fortress of Coburg) are an institute belonging to the Landesstiftung Coburg (regional foundation at Coburg), founded in 1919. In 1920, the ownership of the real estate of the Veste Coburg passed to the free state of Bavaria, which bears the cost of all renovation and construction work but grants the Coburger Landesstiftung the free use of the premises. The Landesstiftung is responsible for running the museum.

The Landesbibliothek Coburg (Regional Library Coburg) holdings contain important writings by Martin Luther (1483-1546), including his translation of the Bible published in 1534. The Luther Library was established by Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861) to commemorate Martin Luther’s stay at Veste Coburg in 1530.

Around 2,300 Catholics belong to the Dompfarrei St. Kilian (parish of Saint Kilian) in the city centre of Würzburg. The Cathedral of Saint Kilian at Würzburg serves not only as seat of the bishopric but is also the church of the Dompfarrei (parish) of Saint Kilian in the deanery of the city of Würzburg.

The Germanisches Nationalmuseum (German National Museum) in Nuremberg is the largest museum of cultural history in the German-speaking countries and counts among the most important museums of the world. The museum exists since 1852. The range of collections stretches from prehistory to contemporary art and culture.

The collection shows letters and writings by famous writers and literary figures such as Melanchthon, von Hofmannsthal, Lessing, Kleist, Voltaire, Tolstoy or Goethe and other valuable individual items written by important personalities from history, art or science.

Saint Anna is an Evangelical-Lutheran parish comprising around 2,400 members in the city centre of Augsburg. The eponymous parish church is the main Evangelical church of the former imperial city.

The Landeskirchliches Archiv der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Bayern (regional ecclesiastical archive of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria, LAELKB) was founded in 1931 and constitutes the central specialised institution for any aspect of ecclesiastical archival studies within the reach of the ELKB. It heads the specialised supervision over ecclesiastical archival studies and the historical ecclesiastical libraries, supports and advises the ecclesiastical providers of archival services and record offices in all aspects that refer to archives, historical libraries and the registrar's office.

The Stadtmuseum Lindau (Civic Museum Lindau) is one of the central institutions within the cultural programme of the eastern region of Lake Constance. The museum building dominating the market square is called "Zum Cavazzen" and counts as one of the most beautiful baroque townhouse of the region near Lake Constance.

The Stadtbibliothek Nürnberg (Nuremberg City Library) counts among the eldest institutions of its kind. The nucleus of its holdings has its origins in the Ratsbibliothek (Council Library), mentioned for the first time in 1370, as well as in eight different monastic libraries once distributed over the city's territory, which were absorbed by the imperial city council after the introduction of the reformation in 1525 and after the monastic institutions had been dissolved. Between 1921 and 1973, the Stadtbibliothek was developed into a scientific universal library. In 2012 the Stadtbibliothek moved to the Luitpoldhaus on Gewerbemuseumsplatz.

The Stadtarchiv Regensburg (City Archive Ratisbon) as "memory" of the municipal administration of Regensburg is one of the large communal archives in Bavaria. Not least because of its historical importance, it disposes of notable archival material to an extent of c. 9,500 running meters from the thirteenth century to the present. The holdings are ordered roughly chronologically and not without overlaps: the time as imperial city (up to 1803), Regensburg as part of the principality of the last arch chancellor Carl Theodor von Dalberg (1803–1810), Regensburg as Bavarian territorial city (nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) and as an independent city. In addition, there is also the section of "decedents' estates and collections".

St. Johannis (Saint John) is the traditional Evangelical parish of the former free imperial city of Schweinfurt. The church building, a three-nave basilica with double transept and Gothic choir space has a building history that reaches back to the twelfth century and it is, therefore, the oldest edifice of the city still in existence. Ever since the city council accepted the Reformation in the year 1542, St. Johannis has served as the Evangelical parish church.

The Stadtarchiv Amberg (municipal archive Amberg) constitutes the communal special agency for all queries concerning archives in the city of Amberg. It is one of the most important communal archives in Bavaria due to the completeness of its holdings.The first document preserved, bestowing or rather confirming the rights of Amberg as a city by Count Palatine Rudolf dates to the year 1294.The series of cartularies was started by the Amberg municipal court in 1379, that of the city council’s cartularies in 1432. The latter continues with small lacunae into the present and offers excellent insights into the city life as well as into the juridical development in Amberg. Collections (photos, placards, maps and plans, local newspapers, historical documentation) complement the records of the Stadtarchiv.

The Landesbibliothek Coburg (Regional Library Coburg) originated in the Ernestine (Thuringian) princely library. Until the end of 1972, it formed part of the institutions of the Coburger Landesstiftung. In 1973, the library was absorbed into the administration of the free state of Bavaria. Since then, the library belongs to the regional state libraries in Bavaria.

The Kantonsbibliothek Vadiana St. Gallen (Cantonal Library Vadiana St. Gallen), which originates with the donation of books by the reformer, mayor and municipal physician Joachim Vadian (1484–1551), collects since its adoption by the Canton of Saint Gallen in 1979 all media relating to the Canton in order to document thereby its history and present. The collection of Sangallensia includes books, newspapers, journals as well as business reports and official pamphlets. The Sangallensia comprise all media composed by authors from the Canton, published by publishing houses from Saint Gallen or dealing with themes that refer to Saint Gallen. By means of this unique collection, the library preserves and takes care of a part of the regional historical heritage and of its cultural identity.

During the twentieth century, the city's numerous cultural, historical and archaeological resources acted as multiple incentives for the institution of museums dedicated to the collecting and preservation of such cultural assets in Regensburg. For this reason, the city of Regensburg decided in 1931 to transform the former Minorite monastery into a museum of cultural history.