Kunstbibliothek Berlin

The Berlin Art Library (German: Kunstbibliothek Berlin) is part of the Berlin State Museums and is supported by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. It holds around 400,000 books and is one of Germany's top places for studying Art History. The library is found in the Kulturforum area of Berlin-Tiergarten, Germany, and welcomes about 35,000 visitors each year.

The library also has an extensive collection of photographs. These photos range from the very first days of photography, through a style called Pictorialism from the late 1800s and early 1900s, to the Neues Sehen or New Vision style of the 1920s, and up to modern art styles today. Since June 2004, the library has shown photographs together with the Helmut Newton Foundation at the Museum of Photography near the Zoologischer Garten train station. After restoring a historic hall called the Kaisersaal, the Art Library now has its own space for showing photographs.

The library often displays pieces from its many collections in special exhibitions. Next door, the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin (Museum of Prints and Drawings) focuses on art drawings and prints. The Art Library does not lend books, but people can see the collections by asking to use the library's study room.

The collections

The Berlin Art Library collects and studies books about the history of European art from long ago up to today. It also has many special items, like:

• 1,400 magazines from around the world
• Drawings of buildings
• Drawings and prints about Applied arts
• The Lipperheide Costume Library
• Posters and ads
• Collections of graphic designs and books
• Photos, including old photos, art photos, personal collections, and photos from the past