Nature, Culture and Commerce Reading and Comprehension Lending books since 1776

The Übersee-Museum has a reference library, which serves the scientific work in the house – but is also open to the public. The library’s collection is oriented towards the research and exhibition profile of the specialist departments in the building, and is processed and constantly expanded accordingly. Printed or electronic media, about 60,000 monographs and journal volumes from ethnology, natural sciences, trade studies and colonial history can be found here. The library currently maintains scientific document exchanges with 449 national and international partner institutions.

The library’s roots can be traced back to the “Physikalische Gesellschaft” (Physical Society), founded in 1776, and the “Gesellschaft Museum” (Museum Society) – renamed the “Städtische Sammlungen für Naturgeschichte und Ethnografie” (Municipal Collections of Natural History and Ethnography) in 1876 – the precursors of today’s Übersee-Museum.