Schlagwortnormdatei
authority control managed by the German National Library
The Schlagwortnormdatei or SWD (translated as Subject Headings Authority File) is a controlled vocabulary index term system used primarily for subject indexing in library catalogs. The SWD is managed by the German National Library (DNB) in cooperation with various library networks. The inclusion of keywords in the SWD is defined by Regeln für die Schlagwortkatalogisierung (RSWK) (English: Rules for the keyword catalogue). Similar authority systems in other languages include the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and the Répertoire d’autorité-matière encyclopédique et alphabétique unifié (RAMEAU). Since April 2012 the SWD is part of the Gemeinsame Normdatei (GND) (English: Integrated Authority File).
Scope
The SWD has about 600,000 descriptors and 700,000 non-descriptors (synonyms and quasi-synonyms) as well as synonymous descriptor chains with references to a descriptor. Its growth rate is about 5.5% per year. About three-quarters of the descriptors refer to individual concepts (language identifier, person, entity, title, ethnography etc.) and a quarter are abstract concepts. Linking using hierarchical (about 115,000) and associative (26,000) relations is not very dense, so the SWD cannot be viewed as a thesaurus (as of mid-2003).
The terms in the SWD are also arranged in a separate classification with nearly 500 classes in 36 main groups.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Schlagwortnormdatei” is authority control managed by the German National Library. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Schlagwortnormdatei, authority and control, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “authority control managed by the German National Library” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q897080. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2012 and 2003.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Schlagwortnormdatei”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Schlagwortnormdatei primary sources, Schlagwortnormdatei archive and Schlagwortnormdatei research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Schlagwortnormdatei”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Schlagwortnormdatei” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.