Ulrich von Kritter’s Collection in Our Library
Illustrated Works of German-Jewish and Yiddish Literature
Jakob Steinhardt, Der Purimgeiger, one of five original lithographs in the Musikalischen Novellen by Jizchok-Leib Perez (Berlin: Gurlitt 1920) from the collection of Ulrich von Kritter; Jewish Museum Berlin, Photo: Lea Weik
In 1994, our museum acquired a part of the library belonging to the bibliophile collector Dr. Ulrich von Kritter (1909–1999). The majority of the nearly sixty books are illustrated works of German-Jewish and Yiddish literature published between 1920 and 1990 in Israel and Germany.
These include a German-language edition of Musikalischen Novellen (Musical Novellas, 1920) by Jizchok Leib-Perez with original lithographs by Jacob Steinhardt and Avrom Liesin’s Yiddish-language Lider un Poemen (Songs and Poems, 1938) with illustrations by Marc Chagall.
Where
W. M. Blumenthal Academy, Library
Fromet-und-Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz 1, 10969 Berlin
Postal address: Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
Furthermore, some titles published in East Germany can be found in the collection, such as Ostjüdischen Legenden (Eastern Jewish Legends, 1983), published by Alexander Eliasberg and illustrated by Anatoli
L. Kaplan.
Reference
Kritter, Ulrich von, et al., eds. Literarische Bilderwelten des 20. Jahrhunderts. Internationale Buchgraphik in Europa und Übersee aus der Sammlung v. Kritter. Vol. 2: Jüdische und jiddische Literatur (Literary Imagescapes of the Twentieth Century: International Book Graphic Design in Europe and Overseas from the Von Kritter Collection. Vol. 2: Jewish and Yiddish Literature). Bad Homburg vor der Höhe: Stiftung I. & U. von Kritter, 1993.
Ulrich von Kritter Collection Titel List (in German)
Download (PDF / 900.59 KB / in German / not accessible)
How can I conduct research using the museum’s archive, collections, and library?
Our Reading Room is open to the public. You can also research using our library’s holdings and some of our collection’s holdings online. To view additional holdings, please contact the responsible curators.
I would like to depict or borrow an object from your collections. Who should I contact?
Your contacts for photo permissions are Valeska Wolfgram and Birgit Maurer-Porat (T +49 (0)30 259 93 433, email: fotodoku@jmberlin.de). Loan requests must be made at least six months in advance. For questions regarding administrative processes, please contact Katrin Strube (T +49 (0)30 259 93 417, email: k.strube@jmberlin.de).
Special Collections: On Jewish Art and Culture (6)
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On Jewish Art and Culture
Some of our Library’s most important collections include the volumes printed by the Soncino Society of Friends of Jewish Books (founded in 1924), the publications of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, and special collections on Jewish art and visual culture.
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The William L. Gross Collection
The 400-book collection includes Judaica, documents, and literature on Jewish art and culture.
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The Ulrich von Kritter Collection
The collection comprises around sixty illustrated works of German-Jewish and Yiddish Literature (1920–1990).
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The Kurt Löb Collection
The collection includes signed and unsigned works by the book illustrator, exhibition catalogs, essays by and about him, and his dissertation.
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The Soncino Society Collection
With eighty Society publications from 1924 to 1937, our collection – a bequest from Hermann Meyer – is complete.
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The John F. and Hertha Oppenheimer Collection
Publications of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, other writings from the interwar period, and books published in the US after 1945
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Collection Hebrew Printing in Berlin
The collection contains about 400 Hebrew and Yiddish titles from the eighteenth century to 1933
