Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the stern Photo Archive
Is using the picture portal of the stern Photo Archive free of charge?
Yes, you can search the data stock of the stern Photo Archive online free of charge.
If you wish to use pictures from our holdings for your own purposes (e.g. print publication), however, obtaining this license is subject to a fee. Please refer to the applicable fee schedule of the stern Photo Archive of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: Fee schedule
Can I find all stern pictures in this portal?
No, you cannot find all stern pictures in the picture portal of the stern Photo Archive. There are several limitations:
- Rights of use: In this portal, you can initially find only photos taken by photographers who were regularly employed at the stern and who have permitted the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek to market their pictures created for the stern (and partly also for other purposes) in return for a license fee. A list of these photographers and a brief portrait of each of them can be found in the category "stern_Fotografen" (stern photographers) in the picture portal.
Pictures taken by freelance photographers who worked on a topic on behalf of the stern will follow at a later point in time.
A list of all photographers whose rights of further use are currently held by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek can be found at:
https://www.bsb-muenchen.de/en/collections/stern-photo-archive/stern-photographers/
This list is updated continuously.
- Digitization/Type of material: This picture portal contains only those (originally analogue) pictures that have already been digitized by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. In a first digitization project running up to the end of 2025, almost three million negatives are scanned with high resolution, indexed and subsequently made available in the stern Photo Archive picture portal. Digital copies of slides and prints will follow at a later point in time.
- Period: The photographs offered in the picture portal were created predominantly between the early 1970s and around 2001. Pictures from the time before 1972 will be digitized at a later point in time. The stern switched to digital photography after 2001. These genuinely digital pictures are not held by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, but by the publishing house Gruner+Jahr.
- Holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek At the time of transfer of the stern Photo Archive from the publishing house Gruner+Jahr, the archive unfortunately no longer comprised all negatives, slides and prints. Pictures that are missing in the holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek accordingly cannot be digitized and offered subsequently via the picture portal.
Is it possible for a picture to form part of the holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek even if I cannot find it in the portal?
It is possible for a picture to form part of the holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek even if you cannot find it in the portal. In the case of not yet digitized pictures, please contact us individually: Contact
Does the portal include only such pictures which were published in the stern?
No. The portal contains predominantly such photographs which were created in the context of a photo story. Frequently, only a small number of pictures were selected for publication in the stern out of several hundred photographs taken for a photo story. We usually show you all pictures related to the photo story, provided that there are no legal limitations or ethical concerns which prohibit the publication of the individual picture (see Why are some pictures not shown in the portal?). Moreover, at a later point in time, also such images will be included in the portal that were created by stern photographers, but outside of their respective time of working for the stern.
Why are some pictures not shown in the portal?
Some pictures fundamentally fulfil the requirements mentioned under Can I find all stern pictures in this portal?, but are still not published in the online portal of the stern Photo Archive. This is the case when there are legal limitations (e.g. copyrights related to photographed works of art, data protection issues related to photographed documents including addresses, etc., child protection requirements in the case of pornographic photos), or when ethical considerations make publication on the Internet appear inappropriate (e.g. in the case of close-ups of children, nude photos of minors or photos of dead bodies that violate human dignity).
These individual pictures or also complete photo stories are therefore digitized and indexed, but cannot be retrieved online in the picture portal. Pixelated portions on a contact sheet indicate that the images in question were not released for the picture portal. In case justifiable interest is given, such restricted pictures can be viewed on site, in the Reading Room for Music/Maps/Images of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.
Why do I find old-fashioned terms in the portal?
The original terminology of the physical archive (photo story titles and descriptions of motifs) is adopted largely without changes in the picture portal. Some terms may cause irritation initially, since they may be considered inappropriate from a present-day perspective. However, historical, source-critical research requires that the historical language be taken over without censorship. With respect to this, please refer also to the Disclaimer.
How do I move back within the portal?
Please use the back button of your browser for returning to previously opened subordinate pages within the picture portal. Clicking on the logo of the stern Photo Archive takes you back to the start page at any time. This resets also all active searches and filters.
What types of pictures (types of content) can I find in the portal?
Please note that, depending on the chosen search option, the hits shown may contain a mixture of the following types of content:
- Individual pictures, which usually relate to a specific photo story and the associated contact sheets.
- Contact sheets, which relate to a specific photo story and the associated individual pictures. These can be recognised in the preview image on the basis of a black marking labelled "Kontaktbogen" (contact sheet) (see also What is a contact sheet?)
- Data sets of photo stories, which represent a complete photo story including the related individual pictures and contact sheets. These can be recognised in the preview image on the basis of a red marking labelled "Reportage" (photo story).
What is a contact sheet?
Contact sheets are positive overviews of all negative strips of a film roll in the original size. The picture editorial office of the stern used them for a first quality assessment of the photos taken.
On the front sides of the contact sheets individual pictures are often marked (adhesive dots, cross or the like), which show the editorial office’s preliminary selection of individual pictures. The filter "Best-of: Pre-selection stern" enables you to limit the search results to this preselection in a targeted manner.
On the back sides of the contact sheets, the photographer or the picture editorial office of the stern noted information on the photo story and frequently also detailed information on the pictured motifs. There are often also handwritten annotations which allow for allocating individual picture motifs to specific photographs.
As far as available, all contact sheets related to a respective photo story can be viewed with their front sides and back sides in the portal.
How can I find specific pictures?
The portal offers various options for searching for pictures:
1. Navigation using categories with subsequent filter options
2. Full-text search with subsequent filter options
3. Limitation of the displayed picture selection by applying filters
1. Navigation using categories
By navigating using the categories, you can search for pictures which are allocated to a specific predetermined category with respect to their content, without using concrete search terms. The following categories are available for navigation:
- Topic(s) of the week (highlighting of a specific photo story on a weekly basis)
- Photo stories (all available photo stories in the picture portal)
- Photographers (see How can I find all pictures by one photographer?, section 3.), subdivided into years of creation in each case
We partly also offer further, temporary categories for navigation when there is a current occasion to do so, for example an exhibition.
You can start navigating using the categories at several points in the portal:
- Navigation using the tile of the same denotation on the start page of the portal
- Navigation using the drop-down menu on the left of the search slot:
For this purpose, open the drop-down menu (labelled "All") by clicking on the triangle on the left of the search slot on the upper edge of the screen and select the desired category in the list that opens.
2. Full-text search
Using the full-text search, you can search for pictures in a targeted manner with the aid of freely selected terms. The full-text search can be started by using the search slot in the middle of the upper edge of the screen. You can enter one or more search terms here consecutively.
This option enables you to search the assigned subject headings with respect to place, time and content of the pictures and the full text of the back sides of the contact sheets (see What is a contact sheet?). This text frequently contains specifications on the motifs shown in the photo story and is therefore useful when searching for specific motifs.
The search request is concluded by pressing the enter key or by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol at the end of the search slot. The displayed search results can be limited further by applying search filters subsequently (see Limitation of the displayed picture selection by applying filters).
Tips for entering search terms: Two or more entered search terms are automatically combined with AND in the search. You can achieve an OR search by separating the terms from one another by two vertical strokes (||). Multiple terms in double quotation marks (" ") are treated as one single search term.
3. Limitation by applying filters
The filter bar on the left screen edge offers you the possibility to further limit in a targeted manner the search results displayed in the main field of the portal and to reduce the number of hits – for example to specific photographers and years of creation or also to specific depicted persons, events and subject terms.
Click on one of the displayed filters for this purpose. In the menu that drops down now, you will find
- either a predetermined list of terms (e.g. a list with predetermined years), where you can limit the selection of hits by clicking on one of the terms,
- or a search slot for searching the displayed selection of hits in a targeted manner by inputting a term yourself (e.g. a person’s name). In the course of inputting text, a small window will open automatically, which contains suggestions for input on the basis of entries present in the database.
Why can’t I find the picture I am looking for?
There may be various reasons why a search does not yield any results:
- The searched material has not yet been digitized. In such cases, you are welcome to contact us to find out whether the not yet digitized parts of the stern Photo Archive contain material on the desired topic: Contact us
- Some pictures are not displayed in the portal for legal or ethical reasons.
(See Why are some pictures not shown in the portal?) - The result "0 hits" when searching in certain fields may occur when the search terms used do not correspond to the vocabulary used for the indexing. The holdings of the stern Photo Archive are indexed with the aid of The Integrated Authority File (GND), constituting a standardised library vocabulary. Only such search terms which are contained in the GND can lead to hits in the fields provided for this purpose. When entering search terms, already assigned (GND standard) synonyms are suggested whenever possible. Hits outside the standardised vocabulary can be found using the general full-text search via the search slot on the upper edge of the screen. This search includes the incorporated texts on the back sides of the contact sheets.
(See How can I find specific pictures? 2. Full-text search)
Why do I get hits that do not contain the motif I am looking for?
Due to the large amounts, the pictures of the stern Photo Archive are not indexed on the level of individual pictures, but on the level of the photo story. The metadata for all pictures of one photo story are therefore identical, so that also such pictures are found which belong to the same photo story, but which do not contain the searched motif.
How can I find all pictures by one photographer?
The portal offers various options for having all pictures by one specific photographer displayed:
1. Full-text search using the search slot at the top edge of the screen
For this purpose, enter the photographer’s name in the search slot and conclude your search request by pressing the enter key or by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol.
2. Navigation using the filter "Photographer" at the left edge of the screen
In case you had already started other search requests previously, the picture display on the right side should first be reset to the original state or to the state of displaying all pictures stored in the portal by clicking on the logo of the stern Photo Archive on the left upper edge of the screen. Subsequently, click on the filter "Photographer" in the filter bar on the left edge of the screen and select the name of the desired photographer by likewise clicking on it.
3. Navigation using the drop-down menu on the left of the search slot
In the drop-down menu (label "All"), click on the small triangle on the left of the search slot at the upper edge of the screen and select the entry "stern Potographers" in the list that drops down. This leads you to a display of tiles of all photographers regularly employed by the stern, whose photos may be licensed by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Clicking on one of these tiles takes you to the portrait page of the individual photographer. This page contains a short biography in each case and, sorted in accordance with years, all photo stories by this photographer currently available in the stern Photo Archive.
Please note: To return to the display of all photographers regularly employed by the stern from opened subordinate pages (portrait pages) you need to use either the back button of your browser or the drop-down menu ("stern Photographers") on the left of the search slot on the upper edge of the screen.
4. Navigation using the tile stern photographers on the start page
Clicking on the logo of the stern Photo Archive on the left upper edge of the screen takes you to the start page of the portal. Subsequently, click on the tile "stern-Fotografen" (stern photographers) on the start page. The further navigation steps are the same as described in the section above (3. Navigation using the drop-down menu on the left of the search slot).
How can I find a specific photo story and the associated pictures/contact sheets?
This is how to find a specific photo story and all associated pictures and contact sheets:
1. Full-text search using the search slot at the upper edge of the screen
For this purpose, enter the name of the photographer or the title of the desired photo story in the search slot and conclude your search request by pressing the enter key or by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol. The displayed selection of hits can now be limited to photo stories with the aid of the filter "Inhaltstyp" ("Content type") on the left edge of the screen; for this purpose, select "Inhaltstyp" ("Content type") and then the option "photo stories". In the new selection of hits, choose the desired photo story by clicking on it. This opens an info view on the photo story in which all pictures and contact sheets forming part of the photo story are shown.
2. Navigation using the drop-down menu on the left of the search slot
In the drop-down menu (label "All"), click on the small triangle on the left of the search slot at the upper edge of the screen and select the entry "stern Photographers" in the list that drops down. This leads you to a display of tiles of all photographers regularly employed by the stern, whose photos may be licensed by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. In the tile display, click on "photographer XY" → "year XY" → "photo story XY". You can further limit the displayed search result by applying search filters (see How can I find specific pictures? 3. Limitation by applying filters).
Please note: To return to the display of tiles of all photographers regularly employed by the stern from opened subordinate pages (portrait pages) you need to use either the back button of your browser or the drop-down menu on the left of the search slot at the upper edge of the screen.
3. Navigation using the tile stern photographers on the start page
Clicking on the logo of the stern Photo Archive on the left upper edge of the screen takes you to the start page of the portal.
Then click on the tile "stern Photographers" on the start page of the portal. The further navigation steps are the same as in the section Navigation using the drop-down menu on the left of the search slot at the upper edge of the screen.
How can I go from an individual picture to the associated contact sheet/photo story?
An individual picture with detailed information on the picture will be displayed when you click on a picture or on the symbol "i" below the picture in the overview of selectable pictures or in the search result. The information window which opens has the tabs "Informationen" (information), "Karte" (map) and "Weitere Teile der Reportage" (further parts of the photo story) at its upper edge. Clicking on the tab "Weitere Teile der Reportage" (further parts of the photo story) opens a page with thumbnails of the front side and back side of the contact sheet associated with the picture and of the photo story in the context of which the picture was taken. Clicking on one of these thumbnails takes you to the respective information window of the selected front side or back side of a contact sheet or of the selected photo story. By using "Weitere Teile der Reportage" (further parts of the photo story) you can thus go back and forth as desired between the three levels of each photo story (picture, contact sheet, photo story).
How can I change the display of the picture selection or of the search result?
The pictures available in the portal are usually shown as thumbnails, with medium-sized preview images and associated brief information texts about the pictures. By using the small icons below the search slot at the upper edge of the screen, you can change the representation of the display of selectable pictures and/or of your search result. The display of selectable pictures can be changed by clicking on one of the icons below the search slot. The following views are available:
- Thumbnails: small preview images with descriptive brief information text about the picture
- Gallery view: Preview images without text information
Three further icons offer the possibility to change the size of the represented preview images in the thumbnail view and the gallery view: small thumbnails, medium-sized thumbnails and large thumbnails.
How can I change the mode of sorting of the hit list or of the search result?
The pictures displayed in the hit list or in the search result are usually sorted in accordance with their release date (= date of entry of an object in the portal of the stern Photo Archive). The sorting of the pictures can be changed by selecting a different order or mode of sorting in the sorting menu below the search slot at the right upper edge of the screen. In addition, the display can be sorted in ascending or descending order by clicking on the arrow labelled "AZ" that is shown next to this menu.
The following modes of sorting are available:
- Display title: Sorting in accordance with titles (of the pictures/photo stories)
- Creation date: Sorting in accordance with the date of creation of the picture by the photographer
- Release date: Sorting in accordance with the date of entry of a picture in the portal of the stern Photo Archive
- Type of content: Sorting in accordance with pictures, contact sheets and photo stories
How can I find photo stories using the map view?
For most of the photo stories included in the picture portal, data are available on the respective place of creation (the country, federal state or city, etc., depending on the photo story). These photo stories have been located in a zoomable map of the world by means of a pin on the basis of their associated geographical data. All photo stories located in the map are linked to the associated individual pictures, so that it is possible to navigate directly to the individual pictures by clicking on the pin on the map representing the photo story in question.
The map view can be opened by clicking on the map symbol at the right upper edge of the screen.
Please note that only such photo stories are displayed in the map view for which geographical data are available.
Is a user account required for ordering pictures?
No. Ordering pictures is not subject to registration or opening a user account in the portal. Order requests can also be placed as a guest.
Who can order pictures using the picture portal of the stern Photo Archive?
Only institutions and authorities, registered tradespeople or freelancers are entitled to acquire licenses for pictures of the stern Photo Archive using the picture portal. Images are not ceded via the picture portal to consumers within the meaning of Art. 13 BGB [German Civil Code]. Consumers can acquire licenses for pictures only in exceptional cases. Where required, this can be requested using the contact form: Contact us
How can I place an order for pictures?
All preview images shown in the picture portal of the stern Photo Archive merely constitute a non-binding offer. To order desired pictures or contact sheets, please select these in the picture portal and put them into your shopping cart using the button "Datensatz zum Warenkorb hinzufügen" (add data set to shopping cart), using the button "Datensätze der aktuellen Seite zum Warenkorb hinzufügen" (add data sets of the current page to shopping cart) or using drag and drop. The selected pictures are listed collectively in your shopping cart.
In the next step, you can send us a non-binding request for licensing for the desired type of use. For this purpose, please use one of the buttons "Bestellanfrage (einheitliche Verwendungsarten)" (order request (uniform type of use)) or "Bestellanfrage (unterschiedliche Verwendungsarten)" (order request (different types of use)) in the shopping cart, detailing the intended use of the selected pictures and providing us with your personal data. Identical details of use are set for all requested pictures via the button "Bestellanfrage (einheitliche Verwendungsarten)" (order request (uniform type of use)), while the button "Bestellanfrage (unterschiedliche Verwendungsarten)" (order request (different types of use)) allows for a selection on the level of individual objects.
You can check and complement your input and correct or delete possible errors up to the point of sending your request. Once you have entered all required specifications, conclude your request for the desired licensing by using the button "Bestellanfrage absenden" (send order request). You will receive an automated confirmation including a summary of your order request by e-mail.
How do I receive my pictures?
After checking your order request, we will e-mail you an individual quotation covering the desired licensing that states the total fee payable. In case you wish to make any changes or correct any input errors, you can inform us accordingly by replying to our e-mail. Where required, you will then receive an accordingly adapted new quotation from us.
Depending on the location of your company’s or institution’s headquarters (inside or outside of the EU), the further procedure of the picture order, depending on the resulting payment mode, is as follows:
Headquarters of the company/institution in a member state of the European Union: Purchase on account
If you agree with the quotation transferred by e-mail, you can open the download link included in the quotation e-mail and subsequently press the button "Zahlungspflichtig bestellen und herunterladen" (binding order and download), thereby accepting the quotation in binding manner. This is the point of conclusion of the contract. The download of the pictures stated in the quotation is started in parallel. The invoice will be e-mailed to you after conclusion of the download.
Headquarters of the company/institution outside of the European Union: Advance payment
If you agree with the quotation transferred by e-mail, please confirm this by e-mail. Subsequently, you will receive the associated invoice, likewise by e-mail, which can be settled by credit card, PayPal or bank transfer. As soon as we have received your payment, you will receive a further e-mail including the download link. By pressing the button "Zahlungspflichtig bestellen und herunterladen" (binding order and download) in the image portal, the download of the pictures stated in the quotation is started.
How long does it take for me to receive the licensed pictures?
In the case of purchase on account (see How do I receive my pictures?), we can provide you with a download link for the requested pictures ideally within 1 to 2 working days.
In the case of advance payment (see How do I receive my pictures?), you will receive the download link for the requested pictures usually within 5 to 10 working days.
Can I order a complete photo story?
Photo story data sets which comprise a complete photo story including the associated individual pictures and contact sheets cannot be added to the shopping cart for technical reasons. Such photo story data sets are recognizable in the preview image on the basis of a red marking labelled "Reportage" (photo story). In case you wish to order a complete photo story, you therefore have to select and order all individual images and contact sheets related to the photo story separately.
What is the licensing fee of a picture from the stern Photo Archive for a purpose of use intended by me?
The licensing fee in dependence on the intended use can be found in our fee schedule: Fee schedule
Do I have to register for using the stern Photo Archive?
No. Registration is not required for using the picture portal and ordering pictures.
How can I set up a user account for the portal?
For this purpose, click on the person symbol on the right upper edge of the screen and select "Login". On the login page which opens now click on "Benutzerkonto erstellen" ("Create user account") and fill in the required boxes in the displayed form. The only boxes which must be filled in mandatorily for registration are your e-mail address and a password. All other boxes are optional for setting up a user account. After sending off the form, you will receive an automated e-mail for verification of the user account.
Does registration offer any benefits for me?
Registration for a user account offers various additional options for using the picture portal.
Your benefits as a registered user include:
- Personalised access point "Ihr Benutzerkonto" ("Your Account")
- Automatic data transfer of the stored address data from the user account to the order request form, so that you do not have to enter your data there again. The automatically transferred data can be changed in the order request form if required.
- Fast marking of pictures by means of favourites and storing of your favourites in a private favourites list. For further information on this go to the section Bookmarking pictures and storing search results.
- Optimal project organisation on the basis of multiple memo lists ("Collections"), which can be stored for multiple sessions. These can be deleted at any time. For further information on this go to the section Bookmarking pictures and storing search results.
How can I change my registration/address data and my password?
You can change your address data at any time using the function "Mein Benutzerkonto" ("Your Account") in the menu bar of the picture portal of the stern Photo Archive. For this purpose, click on the person symbol on the right upper edge of the screen and select the function "Mein Benutzerkonto" ("Your Account"). This opens a dialogue window in which you can change your address data and store the changes by clicking on "Aktualisieren" (update). Here, you can also change the password used so far for your user account by clicking on "Passwort ändern" (change password).
How can I delete my user account?
In the event that you wish to delete your user account for the picture portal of the stern Photo Archive completely, please inform us accordingly using the contact form: Contact us
The picture portal of the stern Photo Archive provides you with various possibilities to bookmark selected pictures or store search results: by means of a favourites list or in the form of collections. If you wish to use these memo functions, you need to log into your user account in the portal first (or register).
How can I manage pictures using the favourites list?
When you are logged into your user account in the portal, a small heart symbol will be shown next to the individual thumbnails in the hit list and in the individual picture viewing mode on the right upper edge of the screen as soon as you move your mouse pointer over the picture. This picture can be stored in the favourites list by clicking on the heart. To delete the picture from the favourites list, click on the heart symbol again.
The favourites list can be opened by clicking on the symbol for your user account (symbol at the right upper edge of the screen) and then on "Favoriten anzeigen" (show favourites). In the favourites list, you have the options to remove individual pictures (by clicking on the respective heart symbol), all pictures (by clicking on "alle entfernen" (remove all)) or to add all favourites to the shopping cart (by clicking on the shopping cart symbol).
How can I manage pictures using the "collections" function?
When you are logged into your user account in the portal, a small square symbol will be shown next to the individual thumbnails in the hit list and in the individual picture viewing mode at the left upper edge of the screen as soon as you move your mouse pointer over the picture. This picture can be added to a current selection by clicking on the square.
At the right upper edge of the screen, there is a symbol with three strokes on top of each other. By clicking on this symbol, the marked pictures can be added to an already existing collection, a new collection can be set up and the selection can be added to this collection, or the selected pictures can be added to the shopping cart directly for ordering.
You can manage your already existing collections by using the books symbol on the right upper edge of the screen.
How can I contact the stern Photo Archive?
Do you have any further questions or do you require assistance in your research?
Please let us know by using the contact form: Contact