Cultural heritage / API

Europeana APIs

Search collections and retrieve object records through documented interfaces.

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Before you use this resource

An API key is required. Image availability and rights vary between objects.

Published by: Europeana
Source: Nonprofit organisation
Collection: Cultural heritage
Resource type: API
Coverage: Europeana collections
Documented formats: JSON, IIIF
Licence / terms: Varies by resource
API access: Documented API
Record review date: 2026-10-22
Last resource update: Unknown
Technical data audit: Not performed
Documentation: Source reviewed

Documentation

Official access documentation was read on 22 October 2026: X-Api-Key is the preferred API-key header. Examples read the key locally from the environment; they were not tested with a key and credentials must not be copied into public code.

The cited page documents this record. Check the original source for terms and versions before reuse.

api.europeana.eu ↗

Request examples and access requirements

Requires a Europeana API key. Create an account and obtain a key; read it locally from the EUROPEANA_API_KEY environment variable and send it in the X-Api-Key header. Never publish it in a page, application source or shared URL. Documentation-based examples; not tested with a key.

Documentation used ↗

test -n "$EUROPEANA_API_KEY" || { echo 'Set EUROPEANA_API_KEY locally' >&2; exit 1; }
curl --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 30 \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $EUROPEANA_API_KEY" \
  'https://api.europeana.eu/record/v2/search.json?query=Romania&rows=5' > europeana.json
jq . europeana.json

import json
import os
import urllib.request

key = os.environ["EUROPEANA_API_KEY"]
if not key:
    raise ValueError("EUROPEANA_API_KEY is empty")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.europeana.eu/record/v2/search.json?query=Romania&rows=5", headers={"X-Api-Key": key}
)
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=30) as response:
    data = json.load(response)
print(json.dumps(data, indent=2))

library(httr2)

key <- Sys.getenv("EUROPEANA_API_KEY")
if (!nzchar(key)) stop("Set EUROPEANA_API_KEY locally")
response <- request("https://api.europeana.eu/record/v2/search.json?query=Romania&rows=5") |>
  req_headers_redacted("X-Api-Key" = key) |>
  req_timeout(30) |>
  req_perform()
data <- resp_body_json(response)
str(data)

-- Run the authenticated cURL example first; it saves europeana.json.
-- Keep the API key in your local environment, never in this SQL or a URL.
SELECT * FROM read_json_auto('europeana.json');

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