Deutsches Historisches Museum

What Deutsches Historisches Museum does

The Deutsches Historisches Museum (DHM) is a German federal foundation under public law (Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts), established in 1987 and operating under the sole responsibility of the Federal Government of Germany through the Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (BKM). Headquartered at Unter den Linden 2 in Berlin-Mitte, the museum operates from the 2003 I.M. Pei-designed exhibition hall (Pei-Bau) while its historical home, the 1695 Zeughaus, is closed for renovation. It holds approximately 786,000 digitally documented objects across six major collection areas, supplemented by an estimated 200,000–300,000 uncataloged items from the dissolved 1990 GDR-era Museum für Deutsche Geschichte and 25+ million historical securities acquired through a 2013 partnership with the Bundesamt für zentrale Dienste und offene Vermögensfragen (BADV).

The museum's offering combines a permanent and rotating physical exhibition program (anchored by programming such as 'Objekte. Geschichte. Geschichten.' running May 2026 – October 2027 and 'Natur und deutsche Geschichte' running November 2025 – October 2026) with a diversified digital ecosystem spanning the Objektdatenbank, the LeMO history portal, the DHM Journal, the IDA interactive learning portal, and the Zeughauskino cinema program. Supporting technology includes a collections management system, Matomo web analytics, SSL/TLS encryption, and a digital accessibility platform certified to BITV 2.0, EU Directive 2016/2102, and EN 301 549/WCAG 2.1 standards. Distribution reaches nine digital channels, on-site ticketing through partners cinetixx and Giant Monkey, group bookings via a dedicated booking team, and venue rental services.

DHM's revenue model is principally anchored in federal government funding (BKM plus Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin), supplemented by tiered ticket admissions (standard, reduced, free under 18, group rates), retail shop sales, venue rental, publication sales (catalogs, the 'Historische Urteilskraft' magazine, the 'Stimmen des 20. Jahrhunderts' CD/DVD series), and photo licensing. Primary customers are general public and families and school groups (K-12), followed by researchers and academics, press and media, and corporate and private event clients served through a horizontal segmentation approach. Strategic positioning combines critical historical engagement of German history with educational accessibility and digital reach — most notably through provenance research, restitution activity, and a long-standing production partnership with the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung.

Name

Deutsches Historisches Museum

Legal name

Stiftung Deutsches Historisches Museum

Website

https://dhm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Deutsches Historisches Museum is a German federal history museum in Berlin operating as a foundation under public law, holding 786,000+ objects and serving general visitors, school groups, researchers, and corporate clients through exhibitions, digital portals, publications, and venue rental.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

History Museum / Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

Keywords

• Historical museum exhibitions
• Cultural heritage collections
• Educational programs
• Digital museum archives
• Historical research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Entry fees for museum exhibitions and events, with tiered pricing for different visitor categories including adults, reduced rates for students/seniors, and free entry for children
2. Retail Shop: Sale of publications, catalogs, replicas, souvenirs, and museum merchandise through physical and online shop
3. Venue Rental: Rental of museum spaces for events, filming, and private functions
4. Publication Sales: Sale of exhibition catalogs, magazines, books, CDs, DVDs, and facsimiles produced by the museum
5. Government Funding: Federal government funding through the Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, supplemented by Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin
6. Photo Service and Licensing: High-resolution image licensing and photo service for press and research purposes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Deutsches Historisches Museum is a federal public-law foundation operating Germany's national history museum in Berlin. It curates and exhibits a collection of approximately 786,000 digitally documented objects spanning German history from the early Middle Ages to the present, delivers temporary and permanent exhibitions, school and family educational programs, scholarly publications, and digital access via its Objektdatenbank (object database), LeMO digital history portal, and DHM Journal. The museum also provides venue rental, photo licensing, and operates the Zeughauskino cinema and ZWBE Documentation Centre on WWII and German occupation in Europe.

Product overview

The Deutsches Historisches Museum operates a comprehensive digital presence consisting of its main website, the Objektdatenbank collection database (with over 786,000 objects), the LeMO digital history portal, the DHM Journal for scholarly content, the IDA interactive learning portal, and the Zeughauskino cinema program. Physical offerings include the Pei-Bau exhibition hall (I.M. Pei, 2003) and Zeughaus (under renovation) for exhibitions. Publications include the 'Historische Urteilskraft' magazine, exhibition catalogs, collection publications, and a CD/DVD series ('Stimmen des 20. Jahrhunderts'). The museum also operates the ZWBE documentation centre. The digital offerings center on access to collection databases, educational content, and scholarly publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pei-Bau Exhibition Hall Modern I.M. Pei-designed exhibition hall opened in 2003, housing the museum's temporary exhibitions while the Zeughaus is under renovation. Targets individual visitors, school groups, and families seeking German historical exhibitions.
• Zeughaus (Historic Arsenal Building) Historic 1695 building housing the permanent exhibition on German history; currently closed for renovation but remains part of the museum complex. Targets individual visitors, school groups, and tourists interested in German history.
• Objektdatenbank (Collection Object Database) Online searchable database providing public access to over 786,000 digitally documented museum collection objects spanning German history. Serves researchers, academics, press, and the general public for collection research, image licensing, and scholarly inquiries.
• Lebendiges Museum Online (LeMO) Digital History Portal Interactive digital learning portal presenting German history through multimedia content. Targets students, teachers, and general public seeking accessible online historical content with multimedia engagement.
• DHM Journal Online and print journal featuring scholarly articles, exhibition previews, collection insights, and behind-the-scenes content in German and English. Targets scholars, museum visitors, and subscribers.
• IDA Interaktives Lernportal (Interactive Learning Portal) Interactive learning portal for educational engagement with museum content, targeted at school groups, teachers, and students for curriculum-aligned historical learning.
• Zeughauskino (Museum Cinema) On-site cinema programming showing documentary and historical films, with independent operations. Targets individual visitors, film enthusiasts, and educational groups.
• ZWBE Documentation Centre (Dokumentationszentrum Zweiter Weltkrieg und Deutsche Besatzung in Europa) Specialized documentation centre for the Second World War and German occupation in Europe. Targets researchers, educators, and the public studying WWII and German occupation history.
• Historische Urteilskraft Magazine Magazine of the Deutsches Historisches Museum serving as a forum for historical, philosophical-ethical, and museological questions, presenting German history from international perspectives. Targets scholars, museum visitors, and cultural readers.
• Exhibition Catalog Publications Catalogs and accompanying scholarly volumes to museum temporary exhibitions, sold via the online shop. Targets researchers, scholars, exhibition visitors, and book collectors.
• Audio CDs and DVDs ('Stimmen des 20. Jahrhunderts' series) Audio CDs and DVD-ROMs featuring historical recordings, documentaries, and virtual exhibitions, produced in partnership with Stiftung Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv. Targets researchers, educators, and cultural consumers.
• Venue Rental (Vermietung) Rental of museum spaces (Pei-Bau and Zeughaus) for corporate events, filming, photography, and private functions. Targets corporate clients, event planners, and film production companies.
• Photo Service and Image Licensing High-resolution image licensing and photo service for press, publishers, and researchers with accreditation requirements. Targets media organizations, publishers, and academic researchers.
• Museum Retail Shop (Online and Physical) Sale of publications, catalogs, replicas, souvenirs, and museum merchandise through the online shop at dhm-shop.de and physical retail locations. Targets museum visitors and cultural consumers.
• Educational Programs (School, Group, Family) Structured educational offerings including guided tours, workshops, school programs, family programs, and online presentations. Targets school groups, teachers, families, and adult groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 786,000+ objects digitally documented in online database
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Museum für Islamische KunstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Objekt im Blick' event series featuring the Ottoman Turban Helm, with curator Deniz Erduman-Çalış from Museum für Islamische Kunst participating in scholarly discussion at DHM
• University of Cambridge (Helen Pfeifer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Associate Professor Helen Pfeifer contributing scholarly expertise on early Ottoman history to DHM's 'Objekt im Blick' event program
• Universität BielefeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration featuring Professor Birte Förster for history of 19th-20th century to discuss Queen Luise's morning gown object
• University of Wisconsin-Madison (Pamela M. Potter)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership with Professor Pamela M. Potter contributing musicology expertise for 'Das Lied der Deutschen' program
• Universität Mozarteum Salzburg (Yvonne Wasserloos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Professor Yvonne Wasserloos for music history expertise in 'Lied der Deutschen' program
• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Ursula Rautenberg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Professor Ursula Rautenberg contributing book studies expertise for Ortenburg Bible program
• Marktgemeinde Ortenburg (Stefan Wild)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal history collaboration with Stefan Wild providing historical context on the Ortenburg region for the Ortenburg Bible object program
• Bundesamt für zentrale Dienste und offene Vermögensfragen (BADV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partnership for collection development: BADV transferred historical securities collection (Reichsbankschatz) to DHM for cross-section collection exhibition and preservation. BADV selects and prepares items for DHM collection under ongoing cooperation agreement since 2013.
• Stiftung Deutsches RundfunkarchivcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing production partnership for 'Stimmen des 20. Jahrhunderts' audio publication series, producing historical audio CDs and DVDs combining DHM collections with radio archive materials
• Bundeszentrale für Politische BildungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership on joint projects including 'Die Geschichte der Familie Chotzen' DVD-ROM production, combining Holocaust education with political education mission
• Staatliche Museen zu BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum network partnership within the Berlin state museum association, enabling exhibition coordination and shared collections management
• Herzog-August-Bibliothek WolfenbüttelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Sachsenspiegel' DVD-ROM virtual library project, combining manuscript digitization expertise
• Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-BrandenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared heritage partnership for historical image usage and exhibition coordination, particularly regarding Prussian history collections
• Gettysburg College (Musselman Library)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational repository partnership: Gettysburg College holds the second known copy of the German first printing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, enabling comparative exhibition and research
• Stadtmuseum BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer institutional connection for art historian Dietmar J. Ponert who worked at Berlin Museum, now contributing Bornitz family collection to DHM
• DHM MuseumsvereincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent membership organization supporting the museum through membership promotion, special events, and fundraising activities for DHM

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jüdisches Museum Berlin: Major Berlin museum covering German-Jewish history and culture. Directly comparable as a large federally supported Berlin museum with similar audience profile, digital infrastructure, educational programming, and overlap with DHM's 19th–20th century German history focus.
• Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Germany's other federally funded contemporary history museum, located in Bonn. Directly comparable as a national-level German history museum with federal backing, exhibition programming, and educational mission — a true institutional counterpart to DHM with overlapping subject matter and visitor base.
• Topographie des Terrors: Berlin memorial and documentation centre on Nazi crimes located adjacent to DHM. Directly comparable as a federally supported Berlin institution focused on 20th-century German history with parallel educational, archival, and exhibition functions.
• Historisches Museum Frankfurt: Frankfurt's municipal history museum with significant collection and digital offerings. Comparable as a German municipal history museum with similar exhibition programming, collection database, and educational audience targeting a similar demographic.
• Imperial War Museums: UK national museum network covering conflicts from WWI to present. Directly comparable as a national-level history museum with federal-style funding, multi-site operations, large object collection, digital collections platform, and educational programming for school audiences.
• DDR Museum: Berlin-based private museum dedicated to everyday life in East Germany. Directly comparable as a Berlin history museum targeting similar visitor segments (general public, school groups, families) with overlapping subject matter on GDR history, complementing DHM's mandate.
• Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin): Berlin-based network of 17 museums including the Neues Museum, Pergamon, and German Historical Museum-adjacent collections. Direct institutional peer with shared Berlin catchment, federal/state co-funding, and overlapping Prussian-era collection material; already a documented partner.
• Mémorial de la Shoah: Paris-based Holocaust memorial, museum, and documentation centre. Directly comparable as a national-level memorial/museum covering 20th-century German-occupied Europe with parallel archival, educational, and documentation functions to DHM's ZWBE centre.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Museum: Munich-based national science and technology museum. Comparable as a major German federal/state-supported museum with large collection, digital infrastructure, and educational programming — though focused on science/technology rather than political history.
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: US federally funded national history museum with massive collection (~1.8M objects), digital collections platform, and educational mission. Broadly comparable in scale, federal backing, and operations model, though focused on American rather than German history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/dhmchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/DeutschesHistorischesMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsches-historisches-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/dhmberlin

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Deutsches Historisches Museum