The database is freely accessible via the Internet. It currently offers access to more than 50,000 letters with their basic data (sender, recipient, place, date, holding institution). In addition, it provides detailed summaries of the contents of thousands of letters. Free text search and a keyword index allow for a targeted search. Wherever available, links are supplied to digitized copies of the letters in question.

For scholars from abroad who are not proficient in German a parallel English user interface was established. By 2023, all or most of the detailed summaries are expected to be available in English as well.

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All content of the database are protected by a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 DE)  (publication of content only with explicit reference to the database, no editing, no commercial use). When using summaries of individual letters, please use the following method of citation and include, where stated, also the author/s of the summary: 

Konrad Geßner to Joachim Camerarius II., Zürich, August 5, 1558 (Erlangen, UB, Trew Gesner Nr. 1; summary [S. Weidmann] under: www.aerztebriefe.de/id/00000242, last accessed March 10, 2020).