Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Description

The Germanisches Nationalmuseum – Leibniz Research Museum for Cultural History (GNM) in Nuremberg presents the cultural history of the German-speaking world from the earliest periods to the present and houses around 1.3 million objects, of which approximately 25,000 are on permanent display. With more than 400,000 visitors annually, the institution is one of Germany’s major museum sites. As a public-law foundation, the museum is jointly supported by the federal government, the Free State of Bavaria and the City of Nuremberg, and it also fulfils research tasks as a member of the Leibniz Association.

The complex is located in the historic city centre and has its origins in a late-medieval Carthusian monastery, whose fabric shapes the museum ensemble. Over time additional museum buildings from various periods were added; destructions in World War II resulted in extensive stabilization and reconstruction work and later expansions. Since the end of the 20th century collection areas have been reorganized and additional exhibition venues established, including a display in the Nuremberg Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg) and a house for the toy collection.

The GNM combines collection, research and public engagement. Collection development and publishing work document cultural-historical contexts and technological developments; research projects in materials science and cataloguing form part of its regular remit. A particularly notable object is the Behaim Globe (Erdapfel) from 1492, which has been listed in the UNESCO Register “Memory of the World” since 2023.

The collections cover a broad spectrum: prehistory and early history, painting and stained glass, sculpture, historical musical instruments with an extensive keyboard-instrument holdings, collections documenting everyday life, textiles and jewellery, furniture, numismatic and graphic collections, and a large toy collection with internationally significant dollhouses. Other areas include scientific instruments and the pharmaceutical history collection, weapons, applied arts and design, as well as historic building elements. Research facilities such as an archive, a library, an art archive and an institute for conservation ensure the scientific and conservation care of the holdings.

Research management and marketing support third-party funding acquisition, project development, research communication and public relations to ensure the sustainable continuation of collecting, conserving and communicating.