Located in Nürnberg, the German Games Archive is a repository of more than 30,000 board and table games dating from 1945 to the present. By its own estimates, the museum adds approximately 700 new titles into its database annually, with between 300 and 400 being physical additions to the collection.
The Archive was started in 1985 by Bernward Thole, who had amassed a private collection of almost 5,000 games. The city of Nürnberg took over the management of the collection in 2009 and continues to collect, organize, and preserve it.
In addition to its core holdings, the Archive also holds an extensive collection of card games, playing cards, dice, and other large-scale games. An on-site reference library includes more than 7,000 volumes and trade journals, catalogues, and publisher profiles. The library is available by appointment only.
While the game collection is not yet available to the public, the Archive actively promotes gaming through various functions, like public gaming afternoons and other outside events.
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