Eine Vereinsbibliothek mit nationalen Aufgaben

The Deutsche Bücherei in Leipzig, one of two predecessors to today’s Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, is tied up like no other cultural institution with the fate of Germany in the twentieth century. It is the library with the closest relationship with the German state. Nevertheless, it was founded by the Börsenverein der Deutschen Buchhändler (German Publishers and Booksellers Association), and it was brought under public manage ment at a relatively late stage. In 1990, it was united with its equivalent institution in West Germany.

This article takes the publication of two foundational studies of its history as an opportunity to examine some stages of that history in a new light. The period from 1912 to 1945 (portrayed by Sören Flachowsky) reveals an increasing politicization of the work of the Deutsche Bücherei. It was not only at the service of the Nazi regime, but also part of the system. Even in the period between 1945 and 1990 (portrayed by Christian Rau), the Deutsche Bücherei, whose collection mandate encompassed the totality of literature published in the German language, acted as a figurehead of a national culture now defined by the Socialist Party. At the same time, it tried to fulfill the expectations made of a research library. In doing so, the library found itself confronted with contradictions.