# Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg

> heritage institution

**Wikidata**: [Q1205987](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1205987)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/deutsches-spielearchiv-nurnberg

## Summary
The Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg (German Games Archive Nuremberg) is a heritage institution and research institute dedicated to the documentation and study of board games. Founded in 1985 in Marburg and relocated to Nuremberg in 2010, it serves as Germany's central archival repository for gaming culture, operating at Egidienplatz 23 as both an archive and research facility.

## Key Facts
- **Founded:** 1985 in Marburg, Germany
- **Relocated:** To Nuremberg in 2010
- **Address:** Egidienplatz 23, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany
- **Coordinates:** 49.456947°N, 11.080956°E
- **Instance Type:** Research institute and archives
- **Main Subject:** Board games
- **Country:** Germany
- **GND ID:** 3010496-8
- **VIAF ID:** 149622997
- **DDB Institution ID:** S64T3GFFBX3VPYFXQ6RHGXWRVLTQERHK
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/12240f5j
- **OpenStreetMap Node ID:** 60010627
- **Website:** https://museen.nuernberg.de/spielearchiv/
- **Also Known As:** Deutsches Spielearchiv, Deutsches Spiele-Archiv, Spielearchiv Nürnberg, Spielarchiv Nürnberg

## FAQs

### What is the purpose of the Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg?
The Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg functions as both a research institute and archival facility focused on board games. As a heritage institution, it preserves, documents, and provides access to materials related to gaming culture for research and public education purposes.

### When and where was the archive founded?
The institution was established in 1985 in Marburg, Germany. It operated there until 2010, when it relocated to its current location in Nuremberg at Egidienplatz 23.

### How can researchers access the archive's materials?
The archive provides access to its collections through its official website at https://museen.nuernberg.de/spielearchiv/. Terms of service and data access information are available at https://codingdavinci.de/daten/#dspa-n.

### What classification systems recognize this institution?
The archive is cataloged under the German National Library's GND system (ID: 3010496-8), the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF ID: 149622997), and the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (DDB Institution ID: S64T3GFFBX3VPYFXQ6RHGXWRVLTQERHK). It is also documented in the Archivinformationssystem Hessen.

## Why It Matters
The Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg represents a critical preservation effort for one of humanity's most enduring cultural practices—board gaming. As the preeminent German institution dedicated to archiving and researching games, it safeguards materials that might otherwise be lost, from historical game productions to contemporary releases. Nuremberg's selection as the archive's home is particularly significant: the city has historically been a center of German toy and game manufacturing, making it a culturally appropriate location for preserving this heritage.

The institution's dual identity as both archive and research institute positions it uniquely in the cultural landscape. Unlike museums that primarily display objects, the Spielearchiv actively generates new knowledge through systematic investigation of gaming history, design evolution, and cultural impact. This research mission contributes to academic understanding of play, leisure, and material culture while supporting the broader games industry, historians, and cultural researchers.

## Notable For
- Serving as Germany's dedicated national archive for board game heritage
- Combining archival preservation with active research institute functions
- Maintaining comprehensive documentation of German board game history
- Relocating from Marburg to Nuremberg, a historic center of toy and game manufacturing
- Recognition in the Open GLAM Survey across multiple assessment periods from 2019 to 2024
- Documentation in both German and international library authority systems

## Body

### Organizational Identity and Classification
The Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg operates as a heritage institution classified under two primary categories: research institute and archives. This dual classification reflects its mission to both preserve gaming materials and conduct scholarly research on them. The institution is officially recognized as an organization whose primary purpose is generating new knowledge through systematic investigation, distinguishing it from mere collection-holding museums.

The archive operates under the administration of Nuremberg's municipal museum system, as indicated by its official website domain under museen.nuernberg.de. This institutional placement connects it to the city's broader cultural infrastructure while maintaining its specialized focus on gaming heritage.

### Location and Facilities
The physical facility is situated at Egidienplatz 23, 90403 Nürnberg, with precise geographic coordinates at 49.456947° latitude and 11.080956° longitude. The location in central Nuremberg places the archive within the city's cultural district. Photographic documentation of the facility exists in the Wikimedia Commons category "Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg," including images of the archive room (archivraum) and visible storage areas (schaudepot), suggesting the institution maintains both closed storage and publicly viewable collection spaces.

### Historical Development
The institution traces its origins to 1985, when it was established in Marburg, Germany. This founding date places the archive's creation during a period of growing scholarly and cultural interest in everyday objects and leisure practices. For 25 years, the archive operated in Marburg before its relocation to Nuremberg in 2010. The move to Nuremberg aligned the archive with a city historically known as a center for toy manufacturing and trade, strengthening the institutional and cultural logic of its placement.

### Collections and Subject Focus
The archive's designated main subject is board games (Gesellschaftsspiele), positioning it as a specialized repository for this form of material culture. The institution collects, preserves, and makes accessible materials related to board gaming, likely including:
- Physical game productions and prototypes
- Rules documentation and game instructions
- Design materials and production records
- Historical gaming ephemera
- Scholarly and popular literature on games

### Documentation and Authority Records
The institution maintains extensive presence in library and archival authority systems. Its German National Library GND identifier (3010496-8) provides standardized cataloging recognition. The VIAF identifier (149622997) enables international authority linking across library systems worldwide.

The archive appears in the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (DDB) under institution ID S64T3GFFBX3VPYFXQ6RHGXWRVLTQERHK, making its holdings discoverable through Germany's national digital cultural heritage portal. Additionally, the Archivinformationssystem Hessen (Hessian Archive Information System) maintains records referencing the institution, likely reflecting historical connections from its Marburg period in the state of Hesse.

### Open Data and Digital Access
The Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg has been tracked in the Open GLAM Survey across multiple points in time: October 31, 2019; April 30, 2020; August 3, 2021; March 1, 2022; July 2, 2023; June 27, 2023; and May 16, 2024. This repeated assessment indicates ongoing engagement with open access principles and digital cultural heritage initiatives.

The archive's terms of service and data access information are available through the Coding da Vinci platform at https://codingdavinci.de/daten/#dspa-n, suggesting participation in cultural hackathons and open data initiatives within the German GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) sector.

### Digital Presence and International Recognition
The institution maintains a digital footprint across multiple platforms. Its official website provides visitor information and collection access. The Google Knowledge Graph recognizes the entity under ID /g/12240f5j, enabling discovery through search services. The OpenStreetMap database includes the location as node 60010627, facilitating geographic discovery.

Wikipedia coverage exists in German (de) and on Wikimedia Commons, indicating primarily German-language documentation with visual media resources available through Commons. The sitelink count of 2 reflects this limited but focused multilingual presence.

### Alternative Names and Nomenclature
The institution is known under several variant designations, including Deutsches Spielearchiv (without the city qualifier), Deutsches Spiele-Archiv (hyphenated form), Spielearchiv Nürnberg (shortened form), and Spielarchiv Nürnberg (alternative spelling). These variants reflect common usage patterns and historical naming conventions for the institution.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. [Open GLAM Survey, version of 31 October 2019](https://archive.org/details/OpenGLAM_Survey_20191031)
3. [Open GLAM Survey, version of 30 April 2020](https://archive.org/details/OpenGLAM_Survey_20200430)
4. [Open GLAM Survey, version of 3 August 2021](https://archive.org/details/OpenGLAM_Survey_20210803)
5. [Open GLAM Survey, version of 17 February 2022](https://archive.org/details/OpenGLAM_Survey_20220217)
6. [Source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WPS-KJptUJ-o8SXtg00llcxq0IKJu8eO6Ege_GrLaNc)
7. [Open GLAM Survey, version of 27 June 2023](https://archive.org/details/open-glam-survey-backup-20230627)
8. [Open GLAM Survey, version of 16 May 2024](https://archive.org/details/open-glam-survey-backup-20240516)
9. [Open GLAM Survey](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WPS-KJptUJ-o8SXtg00llcxq0IKJu8eO6Ege_GrLaNc)