Details on the library holdings
Literature:
The collection of books and essays covers all areas of Beethoven scholarship and reception, including over 800 biographies of Beethoven, as well as monographs of works, studies of sketches and sources, writings on performance practice and instrumentation, general and specialist music historical studies, Viennensia and Bonnensia, bibliographical and lexical reference books, documents and studies concerning aspects of reception history as well as reviews of books about Beethoven.
The collection of press cuttings has had to be reduced to local history clippings.
Alongside periodicals to which the library subscribes, there is a large holding of historical periodicals and music journals, including some of the earliest examples of musical journalism, and the Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Musikzeitung, which Beethoven used to read.
Holdings (2024): 27,390 books, magazines, broschures; 27,464 essays
Music scores:
The main focus of the music collection is on the original editions and their different issues as well as other editions of Beethoven's works which appeared during his lifetime (6,500 copies). In addition to these the collection also comprises editions by important editors or publishers, arrangements, study scores and new critical editions. For some of Beethoven's works there are over 100 different editions. Aside from scores of Beethoven's music the library holds a collection of early prints of works by Beethoven's contemporaries. These include valuable first editions and rare editions by composers who are today largely unknown.
Holdings (2024): 17,723 copies
Donations and bequests:
Donations, bequests and permanent loans from private collections have greatly expanded and enriched the Beethoven-Archiv's library holdings:
- Hans Conrad Bodmer: Prints, manuscripts, pictures, press articles
- Wegeler: Prints, manuscrips, pictures, press articles
- Herbert Grundmann: Prints, manuscripts, press articles
- Jean Van der Spek: Beethoven first editions
- Bonn families: Geyr, Klingemann, Helferich, Schorn, Carduck, von Einem, Eller (prints, manuscripts) and Veith
- Fuchs family, Schmalkalden: Prints, manuscripts
- Klaus Steltmann, Meckenheim: Recordings
- Books from the holdings of the Lese- und Erholungsgesellschaft Bonn
- Scholarly estate of Anton Schindler, Theodor von Frimmel, Stefan Ley, Max Unger
- Martin Schøyen Collection: sheet music, music rolls and records
Holdings: amount is included in holdings of literature, music scores and records.
Records and AV materials:
The small collection of audiovisual materials concentrates on historic audio media, complete recordings, rare recordings and films. It contains schellac discs, vinyl records, CDs and DVDs. In 2014 the "Beethoven Sound Archive" collected by Martin Schøyen with more than 3,200 records and 200 piano rolls was added.
Holdings (2024): 8,665 media
Reprographic collection:
The Beethoven-Archiv's reprographic collection startet in 1938 and comprises microfilms, photographs and scans of all the manuscripts, music prints and other Beethoven sources not in Bonn. A catalogue of sources lists Beethoven memorabilia in over 200 libraries around the world.
Holdings of reproductions of handwritten sources (2024): 7,391 documents