Princesses Library

The library of Sophie Albertines of Sweden is called the Princesses Library , a collection of books that contains the former private libraries of three noble women who were closely related to Frederick II of Prussia (1712–1786):

1. his mother Sophie Dorothea von Hannover , Queen in Prussia (1687–1757),
2. his sister Luise Ulrike von Prussia , Queen of Sweden (1720–1782), and
3. his niece Sophie Albertine of Sweden , Princess of Sweden and Abbess of the Quedlinburg Imperial Monastery (1753–1829).

The originally independent private libraries Sophie Dorotheas and Luise Ulrikes were merged with Sophie Albertine's private library as part of inheritances.

The aristocratic library was privately owned until 2016 and was located in Stockholm . The book collection comprises 1,445 titles in 4,500 volumes. They reflect the spectrum of female education in the European nobility of the time: mainly French-language prints from the 17th to 19th centuries are included. About 5% of the texts are printed in German or Swedish. In addition to beautiful literature , the subjects of history, court and aristocratic biographies , memoirs , letters , court calendars and travel literature , as well as table works , graphic portfolios and individual manuscripts are represented. The volumes have extensive traces of provenance , such as supralibros , bookplates and dedications .

The collection is in very good condition. The majority of the volumes were bound to a high quality by German and Swedish court bookbinders .

Some volumes were printed on silk .

The collection was acquired in 2016/17 by the Berlin State Library and the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation with the support of five foundations ( Kulturstiftung der Länder , Rudolf-August Oetker-Stiftung , BH Breslauer Foundation (New York), Wüstenrot-Stiftung , Stiftung Prussische Seehandel ) and 120 private individuals.

Web links

• Jeanette Lamble: Acquired Princesses Library. In: Blog. Berlin State Library, May 4, 2017, accessed on May 4, 2017 . 
• Michaela Scheibe: Sofia Albertina Library of Sweden. In: ProvenienzWiki. Berlin State Library, accessed on May 5, 2017 . 
• The 'Princesses Library' of the Berlin State Library. Kulturradio from RBB, May 4, 2017, accessed on May 4, 2017 (Interview with the General Director of the Berlin State Library, Barbara Schneider-Kempf ). 
• Astrid Herbold: Berlin State Library acquires Princesses Library. The books of the princesses. Der Tagesspiegel , May 4, 2017, accessed on May 5, 2017 . 
• Christiane Habermalz: Gender research with aristocratic libraries: The "Princesses Library". In: ARD Mediathek . Deutschlandfunk Kultur , May 4, 2017, accessed on May 5, 2017 . 
• Swedish royal couple visits the Princesses Library. Märkische Oderzeitung , October 16, 2016, accessed on May 4, 2017 . 
• Carl XVI. Gustaf & Silvia in Germany - Day 2. In: Royal Observer. October 7, 2016, accessed May 4, 2017 . 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Sofia Albertina, Sweden, Princess. In: ProvenienzWiki. Retrieved May 5, 2017 . 
2. ↑ Luise Ulrike, Sweden, Queen. In: ProvenienzWiki. Retrieved May 5, 2017 . 
3. ↑ Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte, Sweden, Queen. In: ProvenienzWiki. Retrieved May 5, 2017 .