Translated to the ‘Nasionale Afrikaanse Letterkundige Museum en Navorsingsentrum’ in Afrikaans, the NALN serves as a central archive for material and information on the history, development, and scope of literature, music, and drama of the Afrikaans language.
It was founded in 1973 by the Free State provincial government and is based in Bloemfontein. It operates as a non-profit organization.
The NALN collection includes an estimated three quarter of a million items. These encompass books, manuscripts, magazines, newspapers, clippings, sheet music, posters and programs. There’s an audiovisual collection, and other unique artifacts, as well as furniture and effects of writers and literary personalities.
There’s a garden in front of the museum where several dignitaries have planted trees over the years. Busts of writers, musicians, and dramatists have been installed under the trees.
