Special Collections

Due to ongoing construction work the Special Collections reading room is currently closed and will not re-open before the end of 2023. In the meantime, objects from our collections may only be used in their digital forms. Please contact the department with your requests and enquiries.

The Special Collections Department looks after the valuable historical holdings of the State Library and the Murhard Library of the City of Kassel. This includes more than 10,000 (mainly early modern) manuscripts, as well as the rich holdings of rare and old music prints of the landgravial court chapel and valuable bequests and autographs.

Image: ORKA

Virtual exhibition

En détail - Treasures of the Special Collections
From more than ten thousand manuscripts and numerous historical prints, a small selection of particularly interesting, beautiful and rare pieces is presented.

Virtual exhibition: Forward

Contact

Tel.: +49 561 804-7340
Tel.: +49 561 804-7315

Mon. to Thurs.: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fri: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Quick start

Collections

Image: Paavo Blåfield

Manuscripts

Manuscripts: Forward
Image: ORKA

Historical music

Historical music: Forward
Image: ORKA

Bequests

Bequests: Forward
Image: ORKA

Historical Printed Books

Historical Printed Books: Forward
Image: Pixabay

Historical libraries

Historical libraries: Forward
Image: ORKA

Catalogues

Catalogues: Forward

Reading Room

The Special Collections reading room is located in the building of the Murhard Library (1st floor). It also houses an extensive reference library with literature on book studies, codicology, book illustration, theology and liturgy of the Middle Ages, as well as alchemy and the history of medicine.