Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut Berlin

In the centre of Berlin at the Kulturforum: Exchange with Spain, Portugal and Latin America

Come to the Ibero-American Institute at the Kulturforum: Welcome to the largest European library specialising in Latin America, the Caribbean, Portugal and Spain. But the Ibero-American Institute is much more than just endless shelves full of books. It is a centre for research, information and culture and builds bridges between countries and regions.

Ibero-American Institute since 1930

When it was founded on 12 October 1930, the declared aim of the institute was to promote cultural and scientific exchange with the regions of the world that gave it its name. The private library of the Argentinian scholar Ernesto Quesada with 82,000 volumes formed the basis of the institute. The donation was extensively supplemented and paved the way for the Institute's current role in the study of media and information in all its forms. Youcan currently find 30,000 new monographs in the library every year.

Walking in the footsteps of Cervantes and Neruda 

Spanish and Portuguese-language literature is among the most beautiful and best-known in the world. This is evidenced not least by numerous Nobel Prizes for Literature. It goes without saying that this is one of the Ibero-American Institute's main areas of research. But the Institute has its finger on the pulse of the times and, with the Coleccíon Fernando Equidazu de la Novela Popular Española , also offers you a spectacular collection of Spanish popular literature from the mid-19th to the 20th century. So if you're also interested in Spanish newsstand literature, paperbacks and serialised novels, you've come to the right place.

Science meets culture: events at the Ibero-American Institute

The Ibero-American Institute opens its doors for events around 80 times a year. The programme includes lectures, talks, readings and workshops as well as film screenings and concerts. On these occasions, you can gain an insight into the work at the institute in a relaxed atmosphere and socialise with like-minded people. The international workshops on research activities are a particular highlight in the annual calendar.

An institute moves with the times

The Ibero-American Institute would not be the largest specialised library if it did not also have a digital collection. With the search system IberoSearch, you can browse the holdings conveniently from your computer and read numerous full texts directly on your screen. In addition to monographs, you will also find many journals on cultural, popular and literary topics. The institute's own series of journals such as Indiana on multi-ethnic, indigenous and Afro-American societies or Iberoamericana on history, culture and socio-political topics can of course also be found here.

Highlights of the Ibero-American Institute

• 
  Largest specialised library in Europe on the regions of Latin America, the Caribbean, Portugal and Spain
   
• International symposia and conferences on current research topics
   
• Extensive digital collection with monographs and journals that you can also read conveniently on your screen
   
• The institute's own journal series on culture, politics, literature and society
   
• Regular lectures, readings, workshops, film screenings, concerts and exhibitions

Information for your visit to the Ibero-American Institute

You can easily reach the Ibero-American Institute by public transport. The S1, S2, S25 and S26 as well as the U2 and various local trains stop at Potsdamer Platz. Buses on lines M48, M85 and M29 also stop directly in front of the institute.

Culture nearby

You can reach many other interesting places on foot from the Ibero-American Institute. The institute is part of the Kulturforum with the Neue Nationalgalerie by Mies van der Rohe, the Gemäldegalerie and the Berlin Philharmonie. The Potsdamer Platz is within walking distance. From here, it's not far to the Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.