Science and Research

Making their holdings available to scholars and studying them are central tasks of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz and its institutions. For several years it has been strategically developing its profile as a scholarly institution.

The Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) has museums, scholarly libraries, archives, and research institutes. Its collections are often acquired according to research goals. They represent a unique archive for information and are the central basis for scholarly activity at the Foundation.

Its strong orientation around objects and holdings distinguishes the Foundation from other university and nonuniversity research institutions. Because of the broad range of subjects within the collections, research on them covers nearly the entire spectrum of the humanities and social sciences. It also includes the natural sciences.

Several of the Foundation’s institutions primarily conduct independent research. They include the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (National Museums in Berlin), the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut (Ibero-American Institute), and the Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung (State Institute for Music Research). Some of its institutions primarily support the research of others. The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library) and the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Secret State Archives) offer extensive services to researchers from all over the world. The quality of scholarly activities at the Foundation is ensured by advisory committees composed of outside experts.

The Foundation is involved in several multidisciplinary research associations as well as a number of regional, national, and international networks. Its institutions actively help shape the research landscape. They provide impetus for project ideas and possible research on original objects.

The Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz is a member of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG). Its expenditures on research have been constantly increasing in recent years. The Foundation and its institutions actively seek third-party funding for research projects.

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