Search

Fulltext / Simple search: Terms entered in this field (" " for concatenation, "*" for truncation) will be searched in all fields of the database. All pictures will show up in the results if this term has been used anywhere in the caption.

Search by date: You can narrow down your search by entering a date. If you are searching for a particular date, select the "day" and "month" from the lists and enter the year in "year from" (4 digits). If you are searching for a time range, enter the appropriate year (4 digits) in "year from" and "year to". For images from one year only, enter the year in "year from" (4 digits). Some images may not have an exact date. They are provided with date supplements such as "spring", "January - February" or "o.Dat." ("ohne Datum" = without date).

Reference number: Indicator for identifying individual units of archival material and for linking them to finding aids. The group number identifies > record groups (holdings, fonds) of the Federal Archives by a main group designation (i.e »B« for record groups of the Federal Republic of Germany, or »Bild« for record groups of photos or aerial views, »Plak« for posters) and a unique number. Example: »B 145 Bild« is the reference number of the record group »Press and Information Office«). The group number and the number of the image form the archival reference number (z.B. »B 145 Bild-F057026-0022«). This archival reference number has to be indicated when using images of the Federal Archives.

Record group: A record group (holding, inventory) usually consists of a group of archival records belonging together from an authority, a natural or legal person, or a thematic collection. You can use the list assistant (button [+]) to select a record group and restrict the search to image documents from this record group only.

Colour: Indicates, if the picture is black and white (=»No«) or colored (=»Yes«). Example: If you are searching for color photos of the "Kieler Woche", enter "Kieler Woche" into the field »Fulltext« and choose "Yes" in the field »Color«.

Royalty-free photos: Images which are free of charge for their respective usage are marked in the gallery overview by a download symbol. These photos can be downloaded without any further registration. When downloading, you will simultaneously accept the rules and regulations of the Federal Press and Information Office and/or the Federal Archives! For every usage, please send a specimen copy to the Federal Archives. Source, author (photographer) and - in addition - for images of the Federal Archives the complete reference number - have to be named! By selecting "Yes" you may search for free images.

Orientation indicates if the picture is in portrait, landscape or square format.

Photographer: The photographer of a picture or an aerial view . If no photographer has been identified, this field contains "o.Ang." ("ohne Angabe" = no information / unkown). You may enter a name into this field or choose one from the list assistant ([+]).

Designer: The designer of a poster. If no designer has been identified, this field contains "o.Ang." ("ohne Angabe" = no information / unkown). You may enter a name into this field or choose one from the list assistant ([+]).

The publisher of a poster. You may enter a name into this field or choose one from the list assistant ([+]).

Geography Germany: List of cities and locations in Germany. Larger cities may even have subcategories (streets, buildings etc.). By selecting an entry with the list assistant ([+]), only documents with this particular entry will be retrieved from the database. Please note: The geographical attribution of cities and locations is based on their political status at the time the picture was taken.

Geography World: List of foreign cities and locations. Larger cities may even have subcategories (streets, buildings etc.). By selecting an entry with the list assistant ([+]), only documents with this particular entry will be retrieved from the database. Please note: The geographical attribution of cities and locations is based on their political status at the time the picture was taken.

Persons: If you are searching for a particular person, you may enter a name directly into this field (family name, first name) or choose one from the list assistant ([+]). Please note: The Bundesarchiv has pictures of all 60.000 persons on the list, but only a small amount of pictures has been digitized so far. If you cannot find any pictures of the person listed, please contact the Federal Archives.

List of keywords to topics, partly with further subgroups. You can use the plus symbol ([+]) to expand subterms to a keyword. You can search by clicking on terms. Images with this keyword entry will be found

Classification: Scheme for the classification of documents. The assignment to certain classification groups is based on common criteria. Classification is mostly used as a synonym for "arrangement" or "systematics" of picture inventories. By selecting a classification group only images with this classification entry will be found. You can select a group through the list assistant (button [+]). There are five classifications in the Digital Picture Archive: Subject classification, ADN-classification, > Geography Germany, > Geography World > Persons.

Search values in title

Colour: Indicates, if the picture is black and white (=»No«) or colored (=»Yes«). Example: If you are searching for color photos of the "Kieler Woche", enter "Kieler Woche" into the field »Fulltext« and choose "Yes" in the field »Color«.

Information that was originally on or with the picture. Hint: The original title is shown to the full extent! Especially pictures from the fonds »Bild 101 Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht« and »Bild 183 ADN« may contain ideologically influenced or later added texts which sometimes do not correctly describe the pictures content or the original situation. See also »Archive title and »Short title.