Provenance research in the library holdings of the New Synagogue Berlin—Centrum Judaicum Foundation

Initial questions and project objectives

The library holdings of the New Synagogue Berlin—Centrum Judaicum Foundation contain around 15,000 volumes on Judaism, some 8,000 of which were published before 1945. Around 1,500 of the latter are works in Hebrew or Yiddish.

The historic stock was given to the Centrum Judaicum by the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (or by its predecessor the Berliner Stadtbibliothek), the Staatsbibliothek SPK, private donors of estates and members of the public from Germany and abroad. The books were compiled separately, some have not been cataloged yet and some, depending on their origin, are in a poor state of preservation. Around 3,000 volumes in the historic stock are suspected of being looted property because of various features found in the books. These features include numbers, signatures, labels, autographs, stamps, dedications and handwritten (genealogical) notes, some of them in Hebrew or Yiddish. The aim is to record the books in a database and return them to the rightful owners or their heirs.

The project in numbers

Some of the figures are estimates because the holdings have not yet been fully cataloged.

· Stock to be checked with year of publication up to 1945: Approx. 8,000

· Checked for provenance information: Approx. 5,000

· Provenance information available in: Approx. 3,000

· Copies documented in DB and catalog: 1,699 *

· Provenance information documented in DB: Approx. 1,000

· Returns in process: 2

· Returns made: 51

· Still to be checked in the future: Approx. 2,100 copies plus the inspection of 20 meters of shelves as yet untouched

· Copies still to be documented in the DB in the future: Approx. 700 + approx. 800 copies not recorded in the DB

List of persons and institutions that are historically relevant to the project

· Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (formerly the Berliner Stadtbibliothek)

· Staatsbibliothek Berlin - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation

· Jewish Community of Berlin

· Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Nürnberg (initial contact made regarding the “Streicher- und Stürmer Bibliothek”, of interest in the future) **

In the early 1990s, the Centrum Judaicum received large book stocks of Judaica and Hebraica published prior to 1945 from the first two institutions named above. These were for the purpose of building up the Foundation’s library. Further donations from the Jewish Community of Berlin have been received sporadically in recent years; these have not been statistically recorded to date.

Transparency

The provenance research project was presented in “berlin aktuell”, a magazine for emigrants which is published every six months by the Berlin Senate and sent to former Berliners (particularly those of Jewish faith) all over the world. In the article, which appears in both the online and the printed edition, readers are alerted to the fact that it is possible to conduct research by name on the website mentioned.

The project was also presented in “jüdisches berlin”, the monthly magazine of the Jewish Community of Berlin, and on the website of the Association of Israelis of Central European Origin.

For 2013, marking the 80th anniversary of the National Socialists’ seizure of power and the 15th anniversary of the Washington Principles, the opening and presentation of a touring exhibition by the ZLB was designed and held at the New Synagogue Berlin. Entitled “geraubt und genutzt”, it focused on the topic of research into looted property. A publication dedicated to the exhibition has been released which can serve as a guide.

Visitors to the Centrum Judaicum website, which was redesigned in spring 2012, are explicitly made aware of the Foundation’s provenance research project.

The Centrum Judaicum’s activities are also publicized on the website for the Nazi-looted property research project at the ZLB. The website has been accessible since the end of March 2012.

In May 2015, the Centrum Judaicum became part of the newly created cooperative for provenance investigation in Berlin’s libraries, comprising the ZLB, FU Berlin university library and Potsdam university library. The project will be presented on the new platform together with all its participating institutions.

* While each book with existing marks was recorded in order in the first grant period, in the second grant period priority was given to documenting books with provenance markings which offer the prospect of a successful search for previous owners/heirs or a return. In the third grant period, further restitution inquiries together with claims from heirs that were as clear as possible were dealt with and executed in parallel with the ongoing research and documentation work in the shared database (DB). In addition, further new acquisitions and previously untouched material was made accessible.

** The IKG Nürnberg has been entrusted with administering the estate of the “Streicher- und Stürmer Bibliothek” (approx. 10,000 looted items from the private collection of Julius Streicher). Support from the New Synagogue Berlin—Centrum Judaicum Foundation has been requested for the implementation of the provenance project there. Initial contacts have already been made and these will be expanded in the future.

(c) Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin - Centrum Judaicum