Sandra Winterberg Becomes MD of the Internationale Computerspielesammlung

Sandra Winterberg is taking over the management of the Internationale Computerspielesammlung (ICS; International Computer Games Collection) from Tanja von Unger, who wishes to focus more on her role as Managing Director of the Neue Galerie Berlin. The ICS aims to build the world's largest collection of digital games.

With immediate effect, Winterberg will assume the role of Managing Director. She brings experience from the intersection of the media industry and politics, having previously worked at the Senate Chancellery in Berlin and within the Mediennetzwerk (media network) in North Rhine-Westphalia. At ICS, she succeeds Tanja von Unger, who wants to dedicate more time to her responsibilities at the Neue Galerie in Berlin.

The ICS has set itself the ambitious goal of assembling the world's largest collection of digital games, targeting 60,000 titles. Following the model of the German National Library, this unique archive is intended to be accessible not only for research and academic purposes but also for the international public. The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the State of Berlin have approved funding for the 2025 project phase, titled Inventory of the Cultural Asset Games. With this, the ICS is now officially recognized within Germany’s cultural and scientific policy framework.

Currently, the collection exists only as a digital database. However, once the ICS is permanently institutionalized, the physical games—including data storrage mediums, packaging, manuals, materials, and hardware—will also be made available. Contributions come from various partner institutions, including the Computerspielemuseum in Berlin and the USK  Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body), which has archived games submitted for age rating for over 30 years. The ICS is set to be housed in the planned House of Games, currently under development in Berlin.

"The Internationale Computerspielesammlung is a unique digital cultural treasure with enormous potential. After laying important foundations in recent years, the next steps must now be taken promptly: firstly, establishing the ICS as a dynamic database for science, education, and specialist media, and secondly, creating a vibrant space where the history, development, and social relevance of the medium can be personally experienced. I am therefore very pleased to advance this unique project in my new role," says Sandra Winterberg, Managing Director of the Internationale Computerspielesammlung.

Never miss anything from the German, Swiss and Austrian games industry again: subscribe for free to our Daily newsletter and get all news straight to your inbox.