Founded in 1868 for the training of future architects, the collection long served as instruction material for the Polytechnic School in Munich, the forerunner of the present University of Technology. At the beginning of the 20th century, the collection was turned into an archive; but without rooms or funding of its own, it soon disappeared into the store of the architectural faculty. In 1975, however, its present director, Winfried Nerdinger, began to transform the collection systematically into an archive and museum, making the almost forgotten treasures accessible again. The financial and spatial situation remained problematic, but by entering into a collaboration with the Municipal Museum of Munich two years later, it became possible for the Architectural Museum to stage comprehensive exhibitions. As part of the architectural faculty of the university, the museum has concentrated on scientific and didactic work, and it is able to undertake large-scale research projects. The main focus of the collection is German architecture from the 18th to the 20th centuries. (AW)