The Brentano Collection, purchased in 1953, contains, in addition to a special library, numerous autographs and manuscripts by Clemens Brentano and Bettina von Arnim, among others. The letters in particular offer a unique insight into the everyday life of the Brentano/Arnim/de La Roche family of writers.
Clemens Brentano Special Collection
The Clemens Brentano Collection can be traced back to Franz Dessauer, an industrialist whose family maintained friendly relations with the Aschaffenburg branch of the Brentano family. In 1923 he bought the Brentano House in Aschaffenburg in order to set up a Brentano Museum. With the help of bookseller Pattloch, he collected manuscripts, first editions, and literature by and about the Brentano family. But the plan failed due to the economic crisis and the turmoil of war. The Brentano House was bombed, but the collection remained unharmed in the safes of the Pattloch bookstore. It was put up for sale in 1953 and acquired by Mainz University Library the following year.
In addition to the Brentano special holdings with their about 500 titles, Mainz University Library owns numerous autographs. This Clemens Brentano Collection includes correspondence and several manuscripts by Clemens Brentano and by members of his immediate and extended family, as well as individual items from this circle. Numerous autographs come from the estate of Bettina von Arnim. Anyone who has an academic interested is welcome to gain an insight on request. Get an overview of all documents in the autograph portal Kalliope.
Or explore high-quality digital copies of the complete Brentano Collection in Gutenberg Capture.
Autographensammlung
Die Autographensammlung entstand bereits 1946 mit den ersten antiquarischen Ankäufen handschriftlicher Dokumente. Vor allem in den 1950er und 1960er Jahren wurde sie durch weitere Zukäufe ergänzt. Die Sammlung enthält neben Briefen historischer Persönlichkeiten eine größere Anzahl von Vorlesungsmitschriften verschiedener Universitäten sowie einzelne Manuskripte unterschiedlicher Herkunft. Ein herausragendes Einzelstück ist das Stammbuch des Königsberger Studenten C.H.B., das einen handschriftlichen Eintrag und das letzte Portrait Immanuel Kants enthält.
Die Autographensammlung ist zu großen Teilen im Portal des Kalliope-Verbunds erschlossen. In einem von Peter Baader erstellten Verzeichnis finden Sie eine vollständige Übersicht (PDF).
