The Archive for Geography in the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography is unique in Germany in terms of contents and size. It was founded by the Saxonian geologist Alphons Stübel in 1902 as "Archiv für Forschungsreisende". The archive holds letters, diaries, manuscripts, and sketches
of more than one hundred geographers and explorers, amongst others Friedrich Ratzel, Hans Meyer, Walter Christaller, and Wolfgang Hartke. The large fund of pictorial sources includes historical photographs and postcards, photo albums as well as a painting collection.
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All papers are recorded in catalogues, many of them in  online registers. The Archive provides optimal conditions for studies in the history of the discipline, of changing cultural landscapes, ethnographic themes, and the history of urban design and architecture etc.

The Archive will gladly examine relevant papers and records to test their suitability for inclusion its collections. The Archive is pleased to make exhibition materials available on loan, and endeavours to present its collections to the public in exhibitions. At the moment the following exhibitions are available:

• Leipzig um 1900: Die Innenstadt in kolorierten Ansichtskarten
• Universitas Antarctica. 100 Jahre deutsche Südpolarexpedition 1901-1903 unter der Leitung Erich von Drygalskis
• Andenwelt - Gebirgswelten
• Auf der "Saale" in die Neue Welt
• Facetten aus dem Archiv für Geographie

The scientific collections within the Leibniz Association are organised in a working group. For more information see the brochure  Arbeitskreis Archive der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.