Hebraica and Judaica Collection | University Library Frankfurt am Main
The University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg (UB JCS) at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main is one of the largest academic libraries in Germany and provides information and library services for research and teaching on the university, regional and supra-regional level. It holds unique collections on a variety of subjects, some of which some nationally and international recognized. The UB JCS offers subject-specific services for researchers on the national level and hosts six Specialized Information Services (FID) funded by the German Research Foundation. In addition to Jewish Studies, this includes African Studies, General and Comparative Literature, Biodiversity Studies, Performing Arts and Linguistics.
A key foundation of the FID Jewish Studies is Hebraica & Judaica collection at the Frankfurt University Library which is largest library collection Germany with approx. 350,000 objects.
The most valuable historical holdings of the collection trace back to Frankfurt's former Stadtbibliothek (Municipal Library) which was able to establish its Hebraica & Judaica collection thanks to the generous support of the Frankfurt Jews. The early modern Yiddish prints collections, a comprehensive collection of literature from the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement or its collection of historical Jewish press are of particularly significance. Since the mid-1990s large parts of these historical holdings have been digitized, often in cooperation with German and international partners and are for the most part freely accessible via the Digital Judaica Collections Frankfurt.
From 1949 to 2015, the UB JCS was responsible for the Sondersammelgebiete (Special Collections areas) for Judaism and Israel as part of the DFG-funded program of preceding the FID. This enabled the Frankfurt University Library to systematically expand its collection in all research areas of Jewish Studies and Israel Studies.
