By Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum
With around 950,000 volumes, the Deutsches Museum library is Germany's largest museum library and one of the largest libraries of science and technology in the German cultural sphere. The library contains key milestones in scientific history, from pioneering works by Copernicus, Darwin, and Galileo to books on architecture and the history of technology.
Reading room (2011) by Deutsches MuseumDeutsches Museum
The library also contains many journals—its collection of "Annals of Physics" (Annalen der Physik) from 1799 onward fills 22 yards of shelves. One unique room houses the 16,000 rarest books in the library, known as the "Libri Rari." The oldest book dates from 1482, while the most valuable is worth more than half a million euros.
The library opened in 1932. The museum's founder, Oskar von Miller, wanted to create a place that would encourage people not just to look and experiment, but also to read and learn. The books document many inventions and discoveries — and this treasure trove of knowledge will inspire many inventions and discoveries to come.
The Google Books Project
The Deutsches Museum library is a treasure trove of knowledge. Today, the museum'saspirations have evolved: This wealth of information should be available not just to people who can travel to Munich in person, but around the world and around the clock. To make this possible, approximately 50,000 books — 5 percent of its inventory — are currently being digitized in collaboration with Google. They will be available to view and read on Google Books and on the Deutsches Museum website. "Five percent doesn't sound like a lot, but for us it's a huge step forward," says Helmut Hilz, head of the library. "We would never achieve this without Google's help."
Hamburg Solar Eclipse Expedition 1905 (1912) by Richard SchorrDeutsches Museum
The project is beginning with books published before 1878—only books completely free from copyright may be digitized. Many of the books have "foldout" pages with maps, large illustrations, or technical drawings, making the task more difficult. These foldouts must be scanned individually, a laborious task, and then merged electronically.
Google Books
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Books in the Deutsches Museum library
Goethe`s Farbenlehre mit Erklärungen by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from: Goethes Farbenlehre by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheDeutsches Museum
Goethe's foray into natural science proved to be a mistake, as he tried — and failed — to disprove Isaac Newton's color theory. However, the illustrations are beautiful.
Read on Google Books
Atlas Portatilis Coelestis by Johann Leonhard RostDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from "Atlas Portatilis Coelestis" by Johann Leonhard RostDeutsches Museum
As well as writing novels, Rost (1688–1727) was an astronomer, researching sunspots and studying the calendar. The signs of the zodiac also played a role in his book on astronomy.
Früchte aus dem Morgenlande oder Reise-Erlebnisse by Johann Martin HonigbergerDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from: "Früchte aus dem Morgenlande oder Reise-Erlebnisse" by Johann Martin HonigbergerDeutsches Museum
A doctor and apothecary (1795–1869), he also made a name for himself by researching the Orient. He traveled to India, where he is hailed to this day as the "father of homeopathy." He fought against the plague and cholera and set up, among other things, a hospital for the poor in Lahore, Pakistan (image).
Read on Google Books
Martin Frobenius Ledermüllers, Hochfürstlich-Brandenburg-Culmbachischen Justiz-Raths [et]c. abgenöthigte Vertheidigung; als ein Anhang seiner Mikroskopischen Gemüths- und Augen-Ergötzung: Wider einige von dem vornehmen Herrn Verfasser des Neuesten aus dem Reiche der Pflanzen, und der Geschichte der Stubenfliege, in diesen beeden Schriften geäuserte Zweifel und Vorwürfe Nebst einer Beylage des Verlegers Adam Wolfgang Winterschmidts, welche die Abbildung einer, mit vielen sehr kleinen Insekten geplagten, ganzen und vergrößerten Stubenfliege, enthält. Mit Kupfern by Martin Frobenius LedermüllerDeutsches Museum
Auszug aus: Martin Frobenius Ledermüllers, Hochfürstlich-Brandenburg-Culmbachischen Justiz-Raths [et]c. abgenöthigte Vertheidigung; als ein Anhang seiner Mikroskopischen Gemüths- und Augen-Ergötzung: Wider einige von dem vornehmen Herrn Verfasser des Neuesten aus dem Reiche der Pflanzen, und der Geschichte der Stubenfliege, in diesen beeden Schriften geäuserte Zweifel und Vorwürfe Nebst einer Beylage des Verlegers Adam Wolfgang Winterschmidts, welche die Abbildung einer, mit vielen sehr kleinen Insekten geplagten, ganzen und vergrößerten Stubenfliege, enthält. Mit KupfernDeutsches Museum
As well as a wonderful title, this book by the Nuremberg naturalist (1719–1769) boasts wonderful, hand-colored copper engravings based on microscopic observations — here we can see the aforementioned housefly.
"Höchst-nützlicher Tractat von der Mahlerey" by Leonardo da VinciDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from "Höchst-nützlicher Tractat von der Mahlerey" by Leonardo Da VinciDeutsches Museum
In this book, the famous painter grapples with the fundamental and technical problems of his art, as well as questions of scientific theory.
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Theatrum Machinarum (first part) by Heinrich ZeisingDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from "Theatrum Machinarum" by Heinrich ZeisingDeutsches Museum
His year of birth may be unclear, but he left behind a wonderful book in the form of his "Theatrum Machinarum"—he passed away in 1613 without ever seeing his work. In its day, this was one of the most famous German books on mechanical engineering.
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Der Ludwig-Kanal. Seine Entstehung und Bedeutung als Handels-Strasse by Friedrich SchultheisDeutsches Museum
Auszug aus: Der Ludwig-Canal. Seine Entstehung und Bedeutung als Handels-StrasseDeutsches Museum
The Ludwig Canal — a waterway stretching 172.4 kilometers between the Danube near Kelheim and the Main near Bamberg — was opened in 1846 by King Ludwig I of Bavaria The canal has not been used since 1950, but this great feat of engineering lives on in the steel engravings of Nuremberg's Alexander Marx, collected in this book.
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De militia Navali veterum, Ad Historiam Græcam Latinamque vtiles by Johannes SchefferDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from: "De militia navali veterum, Ad Historiam Græcam Latinamque vtiles" by Johannes SchefferDeutsches Museum
In this book, German-Swedish scholar Johannes Schefferus (1621–1679) documents various types of military ship and how they are constructed — such as this trireme.
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Magazine of all new inventions, discoveries and improvements for manufacturers... by Edited by some expertsDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from: "Magazine of all new inventions, discoveries and improvements..." by Edited by some expertsDeutsches Museum
The inventions of the time were compiled here — including a windmill by Friedrich Gotthelf Baumgärtner (1759–1843).
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The Machine by Giovanni BrancaDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from: The Machine by Giovanni BrancaDeutsches Museum
Branca (1571–1645) was an Italian engineer and architect who described an early form of steam turbine. He developed a great many machines on paper and brought them all together in this book, illustrated with woodcuts. Few of his constructs would have become a reality; in many cases, their purpose is entirely unclear.
Descriptions Of Arts And Crafts, Bd, 1: Containing The Art Of The Miller, Baker, Vermicelli by Élie BertrandDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from "Descriptions Of Arts And Crafts" by Élie BertrandDeutsches Museum
As you can see, the game of tennis has been around much longer than we thought. In this book, Élie Bertrand — a scientist from Switzerland (1713–1797) who temporarily ran the Polish Ministry of Industry, Agriculture, and Science — presents various handicrafts and the equipment they require.
Bertrand's book also contains an early illustration of tennis.
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Traité De La Culture Des Terres, Suivant les Principes de M. Tull, Anglois by Henri Louis Duhamel du MonceauDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from "Treaty of Land Cultivation, Following the Principles of Mr. Tull, English" by Henri Louis Duhamel du MonceauDeutsches Museum
Considered the founder of forest botany, the French botanist, chemist, and engineer was also a pioneer of modern agriculture. In this book, he describes the agricultural tools of his time.
Cosmographicus liber by Petrus ApianDeutsches Museum
Excerpt from: Cosmographicus liber by Petrus ApianDeutsches Museum
The German mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (1495–1552) developed various scientific instruments to predict planetary orbits. Observing Halley's Comet, he discovered that the comet's tail always points away from the sun.
Read on Google Books
Bibliothek des Deutschen Museums
Weitere Informationen:
www.deutsches-museum.de/bibliothek
