Collections

The DB Museum archive comprises more than 2,500 metres of shelving with documents, logbooks, construction plans, tickets, track diagrams, illustrations, timetable books and posters.

One of the most important holdings is the corporate archive of the privately owned Ludwig Railway Company, the majority of which is looked after by the DB Museum. This documents the origins and development of Germany's first railway company from its foundation in 1833 to its demise in the 20th century.

More than 1.5 million photographs record German railway history on glass plates, slides, negatives and prints. They include a unique series of photos taken in 1902 for the Royal Bavarian State Railway to document many of the company's railway stations. A large decorative wooden chest still houses the historical prints in this series, which has now been completely digitised and made accessible to the public.

The DB Museum's collection of objects comprises a wide variety of artefacts from the world of railways.

It ranges from vehicle parts to signs, tools and uniforms, travel items, dining car tableware, advertising material and art.

There are some 5,000 titles in the film collection. The oldest films date back to the 1920s and are among the first films to document German railway history.

The objects and documents shown in the exhibition rooms make up only a fraction of the collection.

With their scope and thematic breadth, they form part of one of the most important railway history collections in the world. The collection is constantly being expanded: in addition to searching for suitable objects, the DB Museum also receives numerous offers from private individuals and companies.