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Specialized Literature Collections by Subject

The UIUC Library system owns the specialized collections listed below.  These collections are focused mainly upon literature, and have been chosen for their interest to students and faculty of modern languages and literatures.  You may also view the list arranged by language and donor .

Andersen, Hans Christian, 1805-1875.  Works.
Works. 73 volumes. This collection contains the works of the Danish story writer in the original Danish and in English translation, including a number of valuable first editions. While this collection has been dispersed throughout the UIUC Library system, we keep the more notable volumes, including signed editions, in the Rare Book and Special Collections Library. Purchased, 1952.

Asbjørnsen, Peter Christen.  Collector and Publisher.
Larsen, Henning, 1889-1971, collector.
Henning Larsen Scandinavian Collection. 257 volumes. The Larsen Scandinavian collection consists mainly of the works of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe, nineteenth century collectors and publishers of Norwegian folktales and legends. This collection also includes twenty-five Ibsen plays, of which twenty-one are first editions. Larsen was a Vice President, Provost, and Professor of English at the University of Illinois , and this collection is housed in the Rare Book Room. Purchase, 1966.

Danish.  Literature.
Flom, George Tobias, 1871-1960, collector.
George T. Flom Library, 1931-1940. 2315 items. This  was the personal library of a former professor of Scandinavian languages and literatures at the University of Illinois. It consisted largely of collections of Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian language, literature, and culture, as well as Old Norse, Icelandic, and Faroese materials. Flom also maintained a smaller but substantial collection of materials on philology and linguistics, history and mythology, and runology. The files of the University Librarian contain a typewritten inventory of this collection. Gift, 1941.

French.  Language, Literature, Franco-American relations.
Martin Collection.
4338 pieces. The collection contains mainly French language and literature materials. It also include French historical materials, with a focus upon Franco-American relations. Gift, 1956.

French.  Literature.
Fitz-Gerald, John Driscoll, 1873-1946, collector.
Library. 1257 volumes. The personal library of Professor Fitz-Gerald from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (1909-29) focuses upon French and Spanish literature, as well as a number of other materials of general interest. Gift, 1950/51.

German.  Dictionaries, Literature of the 16-18 ^th centuries, History.
Heyne, Moriz, 1837-1906, collector.
Library. 5200 volumes. The Heyne library concentrates on lexicography; including several hundred dictionaries of German dialects. This collection also contains materials on German literature from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, as well as literature on the history of German civilization. Heyne was a professor of German philology at the University of Göttingen and a contributor to the German dictionary of the Grimm brothers. Purchase, 1909.

German.  Literature of the Classical and Romantic periods.
Meier, John, 1866-1953, collector.
Meier collection, 1565-1913. ca. 500 volumes. The Meier collection is a portion of the private library of a professor of German philology and folklore from the University of Freiburg in Germany. This collection contains German novels, drama, and poetry of the Classical and Romantic periods. Many of these volumes are first editions, and the files of the University Librarian contain a typed inventory of this collection. Purchase, 1927.

German.  Philology and Literature.
Karsten, Gustaf E.  1859-1908, collector
Library.  800 items. Karsten was the head of the Department of Modern Languages and Professor of German at the University of Illinois from 1906 to 1908.  The Karsten library consists primarily of works on German philology and literature.  Gift, 1908.

Germans in America .  Literature, Maps, Records of German settlements.
Rattermann, Heinrich Armin, 1832-1923, collector.
Rattermann Library, 1484-189?. 7,000 volumes. This collection comes from the personal library of a German-born author and researcher into the contributions of Germans in the United States of America.  This collection concentrates upon all aspects of the development of German culture and the history of Germans in the United States; and focuses upon poetry, biography, travel and voyages, including maps and atlases, education, philology, religious sects, German-American societies, and records of German settlements in various sections of the country.  The Rare Book Room contains partial manuscript catalogs of this collection. Purchase, 1915.

Guide to the Heinrich A. Rattermann collection of German-American manuscripts (017.143 IL6G)

Partial Mss. Catalogue of the Library of Mr. H. A. Rattermann (325.243 R18PINDEX)

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von.  Literature and science of his time.
Meyer, Heinrich, May 14, 1904-, collector.
Literature and science of Goethe's time. 889 titles. The Meyer collection reflects the intellectual influences of Goethe's time, and concentrates on scientific literature, particularly the fields of chemistry and physics, medicine, botany, and geology, to which Goethe contributed.  This collection was the personal library of a professor at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania . Purchase, 1953.

Italian.  Literature and Linguistics.
Gröber, Gustav, 1844-1911, collector.
Library of Romance Language and Literature.  6367 pieces.  Gustav Gröber was a world-recognized romance scholar and a Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Strasbourg.  His collection's greatest strength is in the areas of Provençal and Italian literatures and linguistics; however, this collection represents all Romance languages and dialects quite well, including many volumes of Classical, English, and Germanic works.  In addition to the book material, there is also a large collection of dissertations and other studies in pamphlet form, which represent nearly every brochure on Romance topics published in Germany between 1880-1910. Purchase, 1912.

Finding aid for the Gröber collection

Italian.  Renaissance Drama.
Herrick, Marvin Theodore, 1899-1966, collector.
Marvin T. Herrick Italian Renaissance Drama Collection. ca. 470 titles.  Marvin Herrick was a long-time faculty member in the Department of English at the University of Illinois .  His specialization was drama, and his collection contained materials that he selected for the University Library;  it was named in his honor upon his death.  The Herrick collection contains mostly sixteenth century plays written in Italian. Purchase.

Italian plays, 1500-1700, in the University of Illinois Library (016.85 H43I)

Judaica.
B'nai B'rith library of Jewish literature, 1733-1930.
250 volumes. From 1917 until 1930, District No. 6 of the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith made annual contributions to the University Library to establish a general collection of Judaica. Although the collection includes some older items, most of these books are early twentieth century English language works. This collection is dispersed throughout the UIUC Library system, and the University Librarian keeps an unpublished list of its contents. Gift, 1917-1930.

Moe, Jørgen Engebretsen.  Collector and Publisher.
Larsen, Henning, 1889-1971, collector.
Henning Larsen Scandinavian Collection. 257 volumes. The Larsen Scandinavian collection consists mainly of the works of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe, nineteenth century collectors and publishers of Norwegian folktales and legends. In addition, this collection also includes twenty-five Ibsen plays, twenty-one of which are first editions. Larsen was a Vice President, Provost, and Professor of English at the University of Illinois. Housed in the Rare Book Room. Purchase, 1966.

Norwegian.  Literature.
Flom, George Tobias, 1871-1960, collector.
George T. Flom Library, 1931-1940. 2315 items. This  was the personal library of a former professor of Scandinavian languages and literatures at the University of Illinois. It consisted largely of collections of Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian language, literature, and culture, as well as Old Norse, Icelandic, and Faroese materials. Flom also maintained a smaller but substantial collection of materials on philology and linguistics, history and mythology, and runology. The files of the University Librarian contain a typewritten inventory of this collection. Gift, 1941.

Norwegian.  Literature and Folktales.
Larsen, Henning, 1889-1971, collector.
Library. 2,000 volumes. The Larsen collection came from his private library, which consisted largely of books on Norwegian folktales and other literature. Gift, 1970.

Renaissance literature, 1475-1700. 
2,000 volumes. This collection of Continental Renaissance material, printed chiefly in Germany, Italy, and France , contains school books, editions of classical authors, theological tracts, including a large collection of Luther's works, and Vulgate Bibles.  Many of these volumes are very rare and this collection also includes several incunabula. This collection was compiled by a bookseller. Purchase, 1955.

Rilke, Rainer Maria, 1875-1926.  Letters.
Letters, 1905-21. 109 letters. This collection contains correspondence between the great German poet Rilke and Karl and Elizabeth Van Der Heydt. Housed in the Rare Book Room. Purchase, 1950. See also Mayer, Gerhard.

Rilke, Rainer Maria, 1875-1926.  Special editions, Translations, Criticism.
Mayer, Gerhard, collector.
2,000 volumes.  Dr. Gerhard Mayer of Champaign , a retired Chicago-area tax consultant and long-standing member of the Caxton Club, collected this impressive body of Rilke's works. This collection contains special editions as well as translations of specific primary sources and secondary criticism in numerous languages from many countries.  Housed in the Rare Book and Special Collections Library. See Friendscript, fall, 1984, for an article on the purchase. Purchase, 1984.

The catalog of the Gerhard Mayer Collection of Rainer Maria Rilke at the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign (Q. 834 R45AK559)

Romance Languages and Dialects.
Gröber, Gustav, 1844-1911, collector.
Library of Romance Language and Literature.  6367 pieces.  Gustav Gröber was a world-recognized romance scholar and a Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Strassburg.  His collection's greatest strength is in the areas of Provençal and Italian literatures and linguistics; however, this collection represents all Romance languages and dialects quite well, including many volumes of Classical, English, and Germanic works.  In addition to the book material, there is also a large collection of dissertations and other studies in pamphlet form, which represent nearly every brochure on Romance topics published in Germany between 1880-1910. Purchase, 1912.

Finding aid for the Gröber collection

Spanish.  Literature.
Fitz-Gerald, John Driscoll, 1873-1946, collector.
Library. 1257 volumes. The personal library of Professor Fitz-Gerald from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (1909-29) focuses upon French and Spanish literature, as well as a number of other materials of general interest. Gift, 1950/51.

Swedish.  Literature.
Flom, George Tobias, 1871-1960, collector.
George T. Flom Library, 1931-1940. 2315 items. This  was the personal library of a former professor of Scandinavian languages and literatures at the University of Illinois. It consisted largely of collections of Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian language, literature, and culture, as well as Old Norse, Icelandic, and Faroese materials. Flom also maintained a smaller but substantial collection of materials on philology and linguistics, history and mythology, and runology. The files of the University Librarian contain a typewritten inventory of this collection. Gift, 1941.

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Last modified by: Alison Bolla on 7/23/09