Help us finding the books of the Higher Institute of Jewish Studies!

Provenance research deals with the backstories of objects such as artworks, books, and other cultural goods. It reveals to us where an object came from, whose hands it has passed through and who originally owned it. A central goal of this research is to find out whether objects were illegally acquired or expropriated in the past, as often happened during the Nazi regime.

Finding out whether an object was stolen by the Nazis is important and has implications that extend beyond the object itself. It also helps us to reconstruct the cultural and scientific heritage that the Nazis tried to destroy. In this way, provenance research carries on the fight against the injustices of the Nazi era – right now, in the present day.

The lost books from the Higher Institute for Jewish Studies are still important today because they reflect societal debates of their time, debates that remain as relevant as ever. They address essential questions such as: What is religion’s role in society? What does it mean to be part of a minority? How can we combat fake news? 

The books’ history tells us two main things. First, we learn about their importance for previous generations. A dog-eared page or a handwritten dedication can tell stories about how these books were perceived and appreciated. Second, these books’ history teach us lessons about the vulnerability of cultural artefacts. As the Nazis’ looting illustrates, books and libraries are threatened in periods of crisis – a cautionary tale that reminds us of the importance of protecting our cultural heritage today.

Provenance research is about tracking down books’ origins. To begin with, the books are carefully examined for clues such as bookplates (ex libris), stamps or handwritten notes. Any indications found are documented, often through photographs or detailed notes. To reconstruct the history of the book and its previous owners, researchers then consult specialist databases and archives. This process combines physical inspections with in-depth research to paint a clear picture of a book’s history.

Alongside databases and archives, provenance research may also draw on expert interviews, bibliographic research and dialogue with other researchers or institutions in the quest for a thorough understanding of the origins of a book or object. Our reaching out to you to help us find the books from the Higher Institute for Jewish Studies is a brand-new approach in provenance research. One aspect of our project is finding out how well this approach works and how it can be improved so that future provenance research projects can learn lessons from your efforts and ours. That is another way your participation helps write history.

An ex libris or bookplate is a sign of ownership that is placed inside books to identify the owner. It is often a small, pre-printed sticker, usually affixed to a book’s inside cover or one of the first pages. The bookplate typically bears the owner’s name and sometimes includes a personal symbol, insignia, or identifying image. It serves to mark the book as personal property and can feature a very sophisticated artistic design.

If you want to learn more about this topic, have a look at our teaching units (under “Materials”).

Provenance indicators, such as stamps or a person’s handwritten name, tell us who previously owned a book. There are several clues to help you determine whether a book came from the institute’s library. The most important ones are stamps and donation labels. The stamps of the institute are the clearest traces that show that a book was originally part of the institute’s library. They are usually found on the first pages of the book, near the title, author, and year of publication. Donation labels are equally revealing: whenever the institute library received a book as a gift, the librarians inserted a special paper sticker into the book. This was a way of thanking the person who donated the book to the library. There are also less obvious traces that can still provide interesting clues, such as handwritten call numbers. To learn more about the clues indicating a particular book is from the institute library, see our checklist. 

Provenance research must contend with various challenges. One major difficulty is the lack of documentation. In many cases, the archives of libraries, bookstores or state institutions involved in book theft have since been destroyed or lost. Under normal circumstances, those kinds of records would provide information about how and when a book entered a collection. 

Another problem is damaged books. A book might once have contained informative provenance indicators such as a bookplate. However, such features can be intentionally removed in order to obscure the book’s origin, for example. Unintentional damage, like a broken binding that needs to be replaced, can also result in the loss of important information. Often, because of this damage, we can no longer determine who once owned the book.

Provenance research takes a lot of patience and perseverance. There are many puzzle pieces to fit together, often with incomplete information. An enormous number of books were stolen during the Nazi era, and as a result countless books need to be examined today. It therefore takes considerable time and patience to unravel the complex stories behind each book.

Citizen science enables enthusiasts to become active participants in a scientific or scholarly research process. These individuals contribute to data collection, analysis or other research tasks, often using technologies such as smartphone apps or online platforms. Citizen science projects are carried out in a variety of fields such as environmental science, astronomy and cultural studies.

The approach emphasises the importance of community and of decentralising knowledge and tasks. It makes research more democratic and inclusive while incorporating new perspectives and ideas.

It’s quite easy. Here’s how: 

Step 1

Check our map (LINK) to see where books from the institute have already been identified. Select a location.

Step 2 

Prepare for the search: Learn about the terms of use and opening hours of the library you have chosen. Take a look at our checklist (LINK) and familiarise yourself with the provenance clues that demonstrate whether a book came from the institute’s library.

Step 3

Narrow down your search. Using your library’s online catalogue, you can focus on promising titles.

Step 4

Request to have the selected books sent to the reading room or find out their location in the public stacks and bring them to your table. Now examine each book carefully, from front to back. Does it contain one of our provenance indicators? Compare the traces you find with our checklist.

Step 5

Document your find, whether you’ve found a book from the institute or made some other exciting discovery. Take photos and note down the most important information about your find. Then share your discovery with us via our Lost & Found (LINK). We appreciate every report!

Would you like to learn more about how you can be part of the search? See our “Participate” section.

Hi! We are the historians at the Leo Baeck Institute, the people behind this ambitious project. As part of our research, we want to learn more about the books’ travels: Where have they ended up? How did they get there and how were they received? Were they stored in boxes in a basement and left untouched? Or have people discovered the books for themselves, read them, used them for their research and thus carried on the institute’s intellectual legacy?

Your contribution is a valuable part of our research. When many people like you share their findings and observations, the result is an extensive web of information. This diversity of insights enables us to uncover connections and details that would have been overlooked without your help. Thanks to you, we will reach a deeper and more thorough understanding of the topics of our research.

Unfortunately, there is no one to whom we could physically return these books. The institute has not existed since its forced closure in 1942, and there are no heirs or legal successors who could accept the books on its behalf.

Our goal is to virtually reunite the found books in our Library of Lost Books. However, the physical copies will remain in their places where they were discovered, as that is also a part of their story.

The best way to prepare for your search is by exploring our Library of Lost Books. Delve into the history behind the books and deepen your knowledge about the people involved, the historical contexts and the tools for digital research in our virtual Reading Room. In the “Participate” section, you’ll learn how best to go about your search and how to recognise books from the institute’s library. Also, check out our TikTok channel, where you will find not only more background information but also discoveries from other book detectives around the world. Take the opportunity and connect with them through this platform.

Do you think you’ve discovered a book from the institute’s library? Then report it immediately to our Lost & Found! 

Under the following link (LINK), you can provide us with all the relevant details about the book: the location of the find and the clues that indicate it is from the institute library. Please do not forget to take photos of the book on-site. We need images of all the provenance indicators as well as the title page in order to understand exactly which book it is.

While searching for books from the Higher Institute for Jewish Studies, you will most likely also come across other books that were looted by the Nazis but did not belong the institute. It’s important to know that the institute was just one of many institutions whose books were confiscated by the Nazis. In addition to institutions, numerous individuals were also affected by the looting. 

Tracking down each of these looted books, regardless of whether they come from the institute’s library, is very important, as it allows us to send a clear message against the injustices committed during the Nazi era. If you come across books during your search that seem to be looted property, do not hesitate to report these findings too! Our Lost & Found is available for this purpose. 

If you want to learn more about how you can use provenance clues to conduct research on the former owner, for example in order to find out whether they were a victim of Nazi persecution, see our toolkit.

Ask us! You can reach us at info@libraryoflostbooks.com.

After you report your find to the Lost & Found, we – the team of historians and provenance researchers behind the “Library of Lost Books” – will conduct a thorough review. We will confirm whether it is indeed a book from the institute’s library, whether this book has already been identified, whether it’s already part of our virtual library and whether we still need some more clarifying information. In case we have any follow-up questions and need more information, we’ll ask you to provide your email address when you report your find. If everything fits, we’ll add your find to our map and, of course, notify you!

If your find is not a book from the institute, we will still subject it to the same careful review. In this case, we will keep you updated as well. Your find will not be displayed on the website, which is dedicated to books from the institute, but your report will be securely stored so that other researchers can access it.

We appreciate every discovery you report to us and want to properly credit your contribution. That’s why we indicate in our virtual library that you were the finder of the book. When you report your find, we’ll list you under an alias of your choosing as the book finder. If you’re one of our particularly diligent and successful detectives, make sure to use the same alias with each report. This way, we can ensure that all your discoveries are correctly attributed to your account. With your consent, we present the reports of our most successful book detectives as a leaderboard on our social media.

Yes, there is. Through our hashtags #libraryoflostbooks and #haveyouseenthisbook, you can connect with our global network of detectives. You can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Here, you can pose your questions or call for teamwork or challenges. If you have questions that you do not want to discuss publicly, you can of course also send us a regular email at info@libraryoflostbooks.com.

Our focus is on tracking down books that were believed to be lost. But we also welcome support filling in missing information about books that have already been found. Browse our virtual library! Some books still have information gaps. Sometimes we are missing photos of the books, or sometimes a translation of the title.

Maybe one of the books is located near you? You can fill in some of the information gaps without even leaving the house. For some books, we have photos but lack information about what the photos show. Use these photos to decipher missing information and share your findings directly in our virtual library.

The Library of Lost Books project is very dear to the hearts of the people at the Leo Baeck Institutes in Jerusalem and London, and the Friends and Supporters of the Leo Baeck Institute in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main. Together, at all these locations, we are committed to the research and preservation of German-Jewish history and culture. Our vision is to keep memory alive and to create reference points to inform contemporary action.

The Library of Lost Books was designed by the award-winning Goldener Westen design agency in Berlin. It was funded by the EVZ Foundation and the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) as part of its “National Socialist [Nazi] Injustice” education agenda, by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) and by the Axel Springer Foundation.