With its range of information and literature, the library is an important service-provider for political education and science and contributes towards propagating an historical/political awareness.

The library is a member of the German Library Association and the Association of Libraries in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia (Sigel: 918). It supports education and training in librarianship. Guided tours for individual persons and groups are possible upon request.

Collection and indexing

The total collection comprises 190,000 media, the annual growth amounts to approx. 3,000 units. 390 German and foreign-language journal titles provide up-to-date information about developments in politics and science. The Electronic Journals Library (EZB) enables access to electronic journals literature.

The Database Information System (DBIS) is managed in cooperation with German libraries in order to provide scientific databases through one single interface.

Selection Criteria

• Essays on history and politics of the CDU
• Essays on the history and programme of Christian democratic parties and personalities

Until the early 1990s, relevant CDU literature was documented in the “Bibliography on the history of the CDU/CSU” for literature published during the period from 1945 to 1990. Since 1994, this has been continued in the year book of the archive for Christian democratic politics „Historical political messages“ as well as the portals on the History of the CDU, on Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl .

Specialist Disciplines

• Contemporary history
• Political science
• Social sciences
• Political and legal sciences
• Religion and philosophy
• Economics
• Religion and value orientation
• Education and culture

Thematic focal points

• Parliamentarianism and party research
• Social market economy
• International politics
• European integration
• History of the GDR
• Intra-German policy and reunification
• Ethical principles and value orientation
• Democracy and human rights

Special collection areas with unique characteristics

• Sources and representations on the history and politics of the CDU, on their associations and structures including leading personalities
• Publications from the foundation and its employees
• Sources and publications from political foundations
• Publications on the basis of archive resources