National Library Celebrates Anniversary — Will There Be an Expansion?

The German National Library in Leipzig is confident that a decision on its planned expansion will be made this fall. The Bundestag is expected to approve the 2027 budget at that time. Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer has included the project in the government’s draft federal budget, according to a spokeswoman. As recently as this spring, Weimer had announced a temporary halt to the project—a move that sparked considerable opposition.

“We are eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the parliamentary deliberations on the federal budget, which are still ongoing,” stated Director General Frank Scholze and Johannes Neuer, director of the National Library’s Leipzig branch. The government’s draft budget includes funding for the start of construction, along with financial commitments for subsequent years. “We view this as a positive sign for the financing of the expansion, which we hope will be approved in the required amount.”

Temporary Halt Announced in March

In March, the library had unexpectedly announced that Weimer had decided against proceeding with the long-planned fifth expansion project. This extension is intended to create long-term space for collecting and storing books and other media. Storage capacity in Leipzig is nearly exhausted.

Weimer had justified the temporary halt by citing the federal government’s uncertain budgetary situation. He also aims to collect the legal deposit copies for the National Library digitally in the future, as much as possible. He said this would help reduce bureaucracy. The announcement came shortly before the Leipzig Book Fair—at the opening of the major book fair, the Minister of State for Culture was booed, partly due to other disputes.

The German National Library has been archiving all publications in the German language since 1913. It has locations in Leipzig and Frankfurt—where one copy is collected at each site. According to the library, approximately 13,100 new works are received daily, of which 3,300 are in analog form and 9,800 in digital form.

Listed historic building celebrates anniversary

This week in Leipzig, the 110th anniversary of the historic library building is being celebrated. The original building of what was then known as the “Deutsche Bücherei” was inaugurated on September 2, 1916. On the anniversary, visitors can take part in guided tours and get a behind-the-scenes look at the historic, landmark-protected building.

According to plans, the fifth expansion in Leipzig is expected to have approximately 17,000 square meters of usable space and accommodate 148 kilometers of shelving. Approximately 35.5 million additional media items could be housed there—equivalent to the expected acquisitions over the next 30 years. 

Total cost of the expansion: 156 million euros

When asked, Minister of State for Culture Weimer stated that the project could begin in 2027—provided the Bundestag approves the budget as planned. The total construction cost would amount to 156 million euros.

“The funds allocated in the government’s 2027 draft budget send an important signal. They demonstrate that the federal government is fulfilling its responsibility to preserve the valuable collections of the German National Library for future generations,” Weimer explained. This will ensure the National Library is prepared for the future.

Nevertheless, the Commissioner for Culture and Media continues to seek an amendment to the German National Library Act. The reform is intended to enable the institution to respond more flexibly to further digital developments. Discussions will also focus on what the so-called mandatory deposits of works to the National Library should look like in the future.