Europeana empowers the cultural heritage sector in its digital transformation. We develop expertise, tools and policies to embrace digital change and encourage partnerships that foster innovation. We make it easier for people to use cultural heritage for education, research, creation and recreation. Our work contributes to an open, knowledgeable and creative society.
Europeana is made possible by the collaboration of three interlinked expert organisations who share the vision of a cultural heritage sector transformed by digital, and a Europe transformed by culture. Together, we call this ecosystem the Europeana Initiative.
An independent, non-profit organisation that stewards the common European data space for cultural heritage and contributes to other digital initiatives that put cultural heritage to good use in the world.
A strong and democratic community of experts working in the field of digital cultural heritage, the Europeana Network Association is open for all to join.
The network of national, domain and thematic aggregators who support cultural institutions providing data and content to Europeana.
Europeana imagines a cultural heritage sector powered by digital and a Europe powered by culture, giving it a resilient, growing economy, increased employment, improved well-being and a sense of European identity.
Europeana is at the heart of the common European data space for cultural heritage, a flagship initiative of the European Union to support the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector.
Europeana brings together cultural heritage professionals from all domains and from all of Europe through the Europeana Network Association, the Europeana Aggregators’ Forum, diverse projects and partnerships and a programme of physical and digital events.
Europeana provides the cultural heritage sector with a voice advocating for better digital practices that support openness, transparency and reuse of digital cultural heritage.
Europeana empowers cultural heritage institutions to connect with existing and new audiences online. We support all cultural heritage institutions to create good quality digital assets in standardised formats, allowing them to share, explore, interrogate and use their collections in ways that fulfil their own 21st century missions.
Millions of cultural heritage items from over 3,500 data providers across Europe are available online via the Europeana website. We work to share and promote this heritage so that it can be used and enjoyed by educators and researchers, creatives and culture lovers across the world. Be inspired by the innovative ways they are enriching educational resources, opening up new areas of research, or creating new art, games and entertainments on our Reuse page.
We provide opportunities for institutions and individuals in the cultural heritage sector to develop their digital skills and practice. Together, we work to raise awareness, build partnerships, enable peer-to-peer working and develop tools, services and events which support cultural heritage organisations in their digital transformation.
Europeana develops and maintains technical solutions for showcasing, sharing and using digital cultural heritage. We design our own bespoke products available to all - Europeana, a suite of APIs and Europeana Pro - as well as systems and processes used internally to manage and enrich cultural heritage material.
Our partnerships with technology organisations foster and promote innovation in the cultural heritage sector and help us find new ways to work with, improve and interact with digital culture.
Europeana operates in line with EU policies and strategies in areas such as inclusiveness, gender equality, online accessibility, reuse of public information, promotion of EU research, development and innovation. Our success is dependent on the interplay of the Europeana Initiative and active digitisation strategies by EU Member States. Europeana directly complements and supports the work undertaken by cultural heritage institutions as part of their respective national cultural policies.
With this strategic plan for 2020-2025, the Europeana Initiative will be strengthened, supported and reinvigorated as a strong networked organisation.
Access to cultural heritage leads to positive social and economic change, and digital technology can support and accelerate that change. That does not simply mean applying technology. It means applying it with serious consideration in line with a set of core values that are deeply ingrained throughout our organisation.
Our brand reflects our values and makes sure our work, projects and partnerships are instantly recognisable. Our logos, designs and imagery are clear and direct, and our tone of voice is welcoming, inspiring and intelligent. Find out more about the visual elements of our brand.
In 2005, a letter signed by French President Jacques Chirac and five other heads of state asked European Union officials to support the development of a European digital library. The Europeana prototype went live on 20 November 2008. Museums, audiovisual archives and galleries joined the libraries, creating a common access point to Europe’s cultural heritage. At launch, Europeana gave access to 4.5 million digital objects.
In January 2011, the European Commission released its ‘New Renaissance’ report which endorsed Europeana as ‘the central reference report for Europe’s online cultural heritage’. A huge milestone followed in September 2012 when, in the first move of its kind, Europeana metadata was released under the terms of the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, making the metadata itself freely available for any kind of use, boosting opportunities for digital innovation and creativity.
In May 2015, Europeana became one of the European Commission’s Digital Service Infrastructures (DSI), all of which deliver networked cross-border services for citizens, businesses and public administrations. As a DSI, Europeana’s objectives were to make it easier for institutions to share their collections online effectively, to improve the quality of data and content shared with Europeana, and to empower cultural heritage institutions to build their capacity for digital transformation. All of this helped to ensure that Europe’s people, institutions and businesses reap the full benefits of the technological revolution in digital services for culture.
As of 2022, Europeana is at the heart of the the European Commission’s common European data space for cultural heritage, funded under the Digital Europe programme as part of Europe’s Digital Decade.
As of 2024, the Europeana website provides access to over 55 million digital objects - books, music, artworks and more - with sophisticated search and filter tools, and many themed collections, exhibitions, galleries and blogs.
