Sammlerleidenschaft
Sammlerleidenschaft (literally “collector’s passion”) is a German term for a strong, often lifelong inclination to acquire, organize, and categorize objects according to personal or scholarly criteria. It describes a wide range of collecting practices, from stamps, coins, and natural-history specimens to modern art and memorabilia. The term can denote a benign hobby as well as a pattern that becomes problematic when acquisition dominates daily life or leads to excessive clutter and financial strain. In clinical discussions, Sammlerleidenschaft is not a formal diagnosis, but it can overlap with hoarding tendencies or obsessive–compulsive spectrum phenomena in severe cases.
Historically, collecting has played a central role in the culture of knowledge. Cabinets of curiosity (Wunderkammern)
In contemporary culture, collectors contribute to the preservation of material culture, research, and museums, but they