Leo Baeck Institute, The Library

Description

The Library of the Leo Baeck Institute is internationally recognized as the most comprehensive repository for books documenting the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry. Over 80,000 volumes and 1,600 periodical titles provide important primary and secondary material. Rich in rarities ranging from early 16th century writings to Moses Mendelssohn and Heinrich Heine, first editions and dedication copies of works by more recent prominent writers, many of its volumes were salvaged from famous Jewish libraries that were confiscated and dispersed by the Nazis.

Most of the collection deals with central European Jewry during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It also includes material dating back as far as the 16th century and is as current as the Jewish population in Germany today. The focus of our collection is on the diverse culture of German-speaking Jewry, especially in the arts, sciences, literature, philosophy, and religion.