B. Delivery of paper copies, one of which must be bound in accordance with RAL-RG 495

The number of paper copies to be submitted depends on the requirements of the doctoral regulations applicable to you. Case B only applies to you if you wish to submit paper copies only and one of the paper copies to be submitted must be a paper copy bound according to RAL-RG 495.

Specifications to the paper copies:

  • The paper used must be white and age-resistant.
  • Please prepare the paper copies on DIN A4 or DIN A5 and preferably print the pages on both sides.
  • If the document contains illustrations and these can be interpreted without color, they can be printed in black and white.
  • In the case of cumulative work, make sure that all articles are included in full.
  • Make sure that the title page is complete (reviewers and date of defense must be indicated - see examples). You can use the sample title page of the doctoral regulations that apply to you as a guideline.
  • Doctoral candidates are not permitted to use the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin logo in the publication of their dissertation.
  • Please indicate - depending on the defense date - the president on the title page as follows:
    • until 31.12.2021: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst, President of the Humboldt University of Berlin
    • from 01.01.2022 - 30.09.2022: Prof. Dr. Peter Frensch, (acting) President of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    • from 01.10.2022: Prof. Dr. Julia von Blumenthal, President of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • Personal data, such as place and date of birth, must be removed from the title page and from the entire document, as well as the curriculum vitae.
  • The declaration of independence is included but not signed.

Specifications for binding the paper copies:

a) Copies that do not have to be bound according to RAL-RG 495:

  • We only accept paper copies with a hardcover with a clamp or adhesive binding that you can have created in a copy store. In the case of a clamp binding, the rail used must be made of a corrosion-resistant metal. For durability reasons, the University Library recommends that you have your work bound by a bookbinding company as an full cloth binding. You can find a selection of bookbinders in Berlin and Brandenburg on the site of the Berlin Brandenburg Bookbinders Guild.
  • If your work cannot be bound in one volume, we ask that you divide the work sensibly (for example, at the end of a chapter) and make another title page for the second volume.
  • The paper copy does not require an imprint.
    If you wish to have your work imprinted, you may choose to have it imprinted on the spine or on the front cover of the book.
    If you choose to have your work printed on the spine, please have your last name and the title of your work printed there (longer titles can be abbreviated with three dots at the end).
    If you choose to have the book printed on the front cover, you can either have your name (last name, first name) and the title of your thesis printed there or you can have your name (last name, first name) and the word "Dissertation" or "Doctoral Thesis" printed there. 
  • We reserve the right to return copies that are not bound correctly.

b) Specifications for the bound copy according to RAL-RG 495:

  • Please contact a bookbinder for the binding of the RAL copy in any case! Copy stores cannot produce the required bindings.
  • You can find a selection of bookbinders in Berlin and Brandenburg on the page of the Berlin Brandenburg Bookbinders Guild.
  • Please note that above a certain size your work must be bound in two volumes. This is decided by the bookbinder. If your work cannot be bound in one volume, please divide the work sensibly (for example, at the end of a chapter) and make another title page for the second volume.
  • The full cloth binding must be produced by a bookbindery according to the quality regulations of RAL-RG 495 and must meet the library standard.
  • Binding: adhesive binding, fanned (no wire stitching, no use of staples or metal in binding).
  • Book block: back gluing of the book block with support fabric, with rounding from 2 cm, headband
  • Binding: movable spine insert with fold
  • full cloth binding (English buckram)
  • Title printed directly on the spine as a longitudinal title, running direction from bottom to top, in the form: Last name: Title (longer titles may be abbreviated with three dots at the end).
  • Any cover color with high-contrast imprint, use legible font (for example, "Bodoni")
  • Please mark the book binding (usually the back inner cover) with the bookbinder's company stamp, if necessary in connection with the RAL-RG 495 mark.
  • We reserve the right to return copies that are not bound correctly.