German Literature Archive Marbach, Literary archive and museum in Marbach am Neckar, Germany

The German Literature Archive Marbach is a research institution and museum that collects and displays manuscripts, letters, and personal papers of German writers. The collection spans over two centuries and offers visitors insight into the creation processes of significant literary works.

The archive was founded in 1955 with the aim of systematically preserving German-language literature and making it accessible for research. Over the decades, the institution grew through acquisitions of important collections, including significant holdings from publishing houses and estates of notable literary figures.

The name Marbach is tied to Friedrich Schiller, born there in 1759; the German Schiller Society, which runs the archive, grew out of the Schiller National Museum. The Literaturmuseum der Moderne, designed by David Chipperfield, opened in 2006 and shows on 1,000 m² exhibits from the 20th century and present, including around 9,200 archive boxes from the Suhrkamp and Insel publishers in the Siegfried Unseld Archive.

The archive, Schiller-Nationalmuseum, Museum of Modern Literature and Collegienhaus form one complex on the hill above Marbach am Neckar. The Museum of Modern Literature, planned by David Chipperfield, opened on 6 June 2006 and shows 1,000 m² of exhibits from the 20th century and present. The Collegienhaus, opened in 1993, has 30 apartments for visiting researchers, authors and fellows.

The archive holds an extensive collection of first editions and original manuscripts by Friedrich Schiller, whose birthplace lies nearby. This connection between the poet's life and his works makes Marbach a place where one can follow the traces of major literary figures.