Correspondence with Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland

The correspondence, mainly with representatives Hendrik George van Dam and Hans Lamm, documents the close association between The Wiener Library and the Zentralrat. Various issues are covered, including information requests, mutual contributions to the respective publications of both organisations, discussions of various current affairs and activities.

Noteworthy for instance is the involvement of Library staff members in lecture programs offered by the Zentralrat for Jewish communities in Germany (1955/56); the recurring idea to transfer The Wiener Library to West Germany, at least in parts (1957/58); the Library’s extensive support for a book project by Hans Lamm on the Jewry from Munich (1957/58); the Library’s involvement in the identification of the potential grave of Anne Frank (1959); and financial support of the Library by the Zentralrat (1959-1963). Furthermore, Alfred Wiener describes a meeting he had with Hermann Göring in February 1933 (30.04.1959).

Beside letters the correspondence contains two press cuttings, four cards, one transcript of an article by van Dam critically examining the coming to terms with the past in Germany (1958), a photo of a grave of a concentration camp victim (1959), several of the Zentralrat’scirculars, and two Rosh Hashanah greetings.