In the location's words:

The Bach Archive Leipzig acts as a leading competence center for music in the place where Johann Sebastian Bach was significantly active. Its tasks include research into the life, work and influence of the composer and the widely ramified Bach family of musicians. The aim of the archive is to preserve the musical heritage and pass it on worldwide as an educational asset. The historic Bosehaus at Thomaskirchhof serves as a central location for the fulfillment of its comprehensive and diverse tasks, which strengthen both the broad international public and the cultural identity of Leipzig. The academic work of the Bach Archive forms the basis for the design of the Bach Museum as well as the organization of the annual Bach Festival and the biennial Bach Competition. The Bach Archive is a member of the Conference of National Cultural Institutions and is one of Germany's "cultural beacons" according to a study by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. It is classified as one of the "most important nationally significant cultural institutions" in the new federal states.