Research into Nazi-looted property at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

The core aim of the project was to examine all suspect acquisitions made by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek during the Nazi era in order to locate stolen books and carry out further research on them. The work was based on a thorough examination of 65,000 books which was carried out beforehand by volunteers; the investigation period was 1933 to 1945. As many of the records for this period had been lost during the war, all titles were examined for provenance markings such as stamps or other evidence. In this way, several hundred books were identified as suspicious and further research was carried out as part of the project. Descendants and successor organizations were identified, and the books were restituted, if possible.

Where a restitution was made, the books were digitized beforehand so that the information contained in them can continue to be made available to users. This also ensures that the book remains visible in the library stocks and keeps the memory of the fate of the former owner alive. In addition, all provenances determined were documented in the BSB’s OPAC and made publicly available together with the book data record. A dedicated project website provides detailed information about the project and about the individual returns. The project thus provides a systematic overview of items of Nazi-looted property acquired by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek between 1933 and 1945.

(c) Bayerische Staatsbibliothek