At the Ibero-American Institute, the Special Collections serve as a central interface between the library, research and cultural mediation. They comprise analogue and digital materials that are cross-linked with one another. The Special Collections include the papers and manuscripts, the image archive, the map collection, the audio library, the film collection, collections from corporate bodies, the art prints and illustrations archive, the poster collection and the newspaper clippings archive. These unique and diverse collections of materials are an invaluable resource for research projects, publications and exhibitions. The special collections thus provide new insight into the cultures of Latin America, the Caribbean and the Iberian Peninsula and play a key role in preserving the cultural heritage of these regions.

Due to the different types of materials and their various conditions, these holdings are subject to special regulations. Some resources have not been indexed in the online catalog and can only be accessed by searching the special catalogs or inventories. More detailed information can be found in the individual sections on each collection.

Group tours of the collections are available on request.

The use of the IAI's Special Collections is possible by appointment only. Please direct all requests for access to individual Special Collections to colecciones@iai.spk-berlin.de  

Publications related to the IAI´s Special Collections

Special Collections in the IAI's Digital Collections

Photos © IAI, photographer: Stefan Maria Rother