University Library
Collections at the University Library
In addition to more than 5 million books, the University Library is home to several collections that are curated by the Department for Manuscripts and Early Printed Books.
The Collection of Prints and Drawings, with around 7000 drawings, engravings, etchings and woodcuts dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries, was given to the Library by the Margrave of Ansbach in 1805/1806. In 1931, the lawyer Ernst Luthardt donated his collection of papers, consisting mainly of drawings and prints from the 19th and early 20th centuries, to the Library.
The Library acquired 141 Egyptian papyruses in 1934. It also manages a collection of around 30,000 coins and medals from a wide range of periods. Other artefacts in the Library’s collections include over 2000 portraits, pamphlets and flyers, the 19,000 individual letters of the Trew letter collection, 3000 autographs and several libraries from monasteries, scholars and margraves.
Of all the collections, the Collection of Prints and Drawings is the most prized due to its high artistic value. It is one of the most important collections of 15th and 16th century Northern European art in the world, making it highly sought-after for use in art history research and for international loans.
Websites:
Address
Universitätsstr. 4
91054 Erlangen
Contact
Dr. Christina Hofmann-Randall
ub-handschriften@fau.de
+49 9131 8522158
Opening times:
Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m.–4.00 p.m.
(manuscript reading room; artefacts available for viewing upon request)