Otto Schäfer Library

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The Otto Schäfer Library is now part of the Otto Schäfer Museum in Schweinfurt . It is a book collection that emerged from the private library of the Schweinfurt industrialist Otto Schäfer (1912–2000). The museum is to become part of the Martin-Luther-Platz cultural forum , which is expected to be created by 2021 .

collection

The focus of the collection is the history of books, with the stocks of old illustrated printed works being particularly famous. According to the library, the more than a thousand illustrated works include works by Michael Wolgemut , Albrecht Dürer , Hans Burgkmair the Elder. Ä. , Hans Baldung Grien , Hans Schäufelein , Lucas Cranach the Elder. Ä. , Hans Holbein the Elder J. , Urs Graf , Hans Weiditz , Jörg Breu d. Ä. , the Petrarca master , Matthäus Merian d. Ä. , Caspar David Friedrich , Adolph Menzel , Max Slevogt , Lovis Corinth , Aristide Maillol and HAP Grieshaber . There is also a fragment of the first volume of a Gutenberg Bible in the inventory.

meaning

Otto Schäfer, who holds a doctorate, was one of the most important book collectors of the second half of the 20th century, and his library is one of the most important private libraries worldwide. The importance of his foundation lies not only in its existence, but also in the fact that it represents a type of publicly accessible private collection, which is rather rare in Germany. The library is housed in its own building and has a detailed catalog for the oldest holdings (but important parts of it are now missing).

history

In 1989 the Dr. Otto Schäfer Foundation e. V. founded as a carrier. Due to financial problems, the library was closed in the summer of 1994. An agreement with the city of Schweinfurt for a new, viable concept for the library led to the sale of all works from the Collection of Illustrated Books and the Jean Furstenberg Collection that were not printed in the German-speaking area in four auctions at Sotheby’s from December 1994 to December 1995. In contrast to the collection Georg Schäfer , which was converted into a real foundation, was the registered association Dr.-Otto-Schäfer-Stiftung e. V. continues to be the owner of the Otto Schäfer Collection, with the exception of the Dürer graphic. Otto G. Schäfer (1937–2017) was the chairman and managing director. This legal form made it, unlike that of the foundation, basically easier to intervene in the association's assets.

As a further part of the new concept, from the end of 1995 the historical book holdings of the Schweinfurt City Library (Reichsstädtische Bibliothek, Bausch Library) were set up in the library. In 2014 the historical sacristy library of the parish church of St. Johannis was added as a deposit from the parish .

Towards the end of 2014 it became known that valuable parts of the inventory (194 units) had been sold to the Swiss antiquarian Jörn Günther. Their whereabouts in Germany were provisionally secured according to the Cultural Property Protection Act until their character as a nationally valuable cultural asset was clarified . The 194 units were temporarily returned to Schweinfurt. However, the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, which is now responsible, did not include any of the items in the list of nationally valuable cultural assets, despite two positive opinions , so that sales abroad were also approved.

In 2016 Otto G. Schäfer (1937–2017) and members of the Dr.-Otto-Schäfer-Stiftung e. V. offered to donate the art, book, binding and science collections of the Otto Schäfer Museum to the city of Schweinfurt. This donation also included the Dürer collection, the unencumbered museum building and at least 5 million euros from the foundation's capital. The official broadcast of the donation took place in 2017.

The museum is expected to find a new home in the Kulturforum Martin-Luther-Platz by 2021 .

See also

Publications

  • Manfred von Arnim: Catalog of the Otto Schäfer Library, Schweinfurt. T. 1. Prints, manuscripts and bindings from the 15th century. Hauswedell, Stuttgart 1984. 2 volumes ISBN 3-7762-0230-0 and 3-7762-0231-9 [not published more].
  • Eduard Isphording: Five centuries of book illustration: masterpieces of book graphics from the Otto Schäfer library. Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg, Sept. 11th - Nov. 11th 1987. German. National Museum, Nuremberg 1987. ISBN 3-88607-053-0
  • Manfred von Arnim: European binding art from six centuries. Examples from the Otto Schäfer Schweinfurt library. Schweinfurt 1992.
  • Precious prints and bindings from six centuries. Permanent presentation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Otto Schäfer Library. March 18, 2001 - January 12, 2003. Schweinfurt 2001. ISBN 3-926879-35-1

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kulturforum Martin-Luther-Platz Schweinfurt. Kulturplan.com, accessed on November 14, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Schweinfurt (official site) with (blurred / distorted) image of a sheet ( memento of November 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) from the so-called B 42 ; it is sheet 102r (cII recto) with the beginning of the book of Joshua (AT)
  3. ↑ Entry in the manual of the historical book inventory online
  4. ^ A b Mathias Wiedemann: City fears loss of importance of the Otto Schäfer Museum. Museum Otto Schäfer: After books have been sold, the city questions its membership in the sponsoring association. Mainpost , February 22, 2015, accessed February 26, 2015 .
  5. ↑ Entry on Schweinfurt: City Archives and City Library in the manual of the historical book collections online
  6. ↑ Belongs in the sacristy , press release by Ev.-Luth. Deanery Schweinfurt from September 29, 2014, accessed on November 22, 2014; Entry on the sacristy library in the manual of the historical book collections online
  7. ↑ Klaus Graf : Top pieces from the Schweinfurt library Otto Schäfer sold. Weblog Kulturgut, January 7, 2015, accessed on February 26, 2015 .
  8. ↑ Scandalous: Bavaria has not added a single work from the Otto Schäfer Collection to the list of cultural assets , article in Archivalia from February 7, 2016 with further references, accessed on July 5, 2016
  9. ^ Donation from the "Dr. Otto Schäfer Foundation eV" association to the city of Schweinfurt. Schweinfurt.de, July 28, 2016, accessed on November 14, 2017 .
  10. ↑ Karl-Heinz Körblein: Otto G. Shepherd and his gift to the beloved hometown. Mainpost.de, May 21, 2017, accessed November 14, 2017 .
  11. ↑ Joy² - Culture finds “inner city”: New culture forum Martin-Luther-Platz and a significant donation. Schweinfurt.de, accessed on November 14, 2017 .
  12. ↑ Oliver Schikora: Forum for the Schweinfurt culture. Mainpost.de, October 26, 2017, accessed on November 14, 2017 .

Coordinates: 50 ° 3 ′ 5.1 ″  N , 10 ° 14 ′ 52.5 ″  E