The collection includes around 300 brochures, posters, flyers, maps and newspapers from the years 1943 to 1945. Many of them were produced in underground print shops of the Slovenian partisans; some are of Serbian and Croatian origin. In addition, there are a number of prints from liberated prisoner-of-war camps from this region, German and Italian collaboration and propaganda documents of the years 1941 to 1944, as well as writings by Slovenian post-war exiles in Austria (1946 to 1948).

The works were produced mostly in small print runs, part of them being very rare and at the same time noteworthy in regard of both printing technology and art. Such a contiguous and comprehensive collection is unique outside of the former territory of Yugoslavia.

Dr. Klaus Ceynowa, Director General of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: "With the newly acquired collection of partisan prints, we offer materials on a topic that has met with particular interest in the western world as of late. The value of the collection is outstanding."

Photo: Journal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Slovenia "Delo", no. 2 of May 1942; Copyright: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich

Press release for download
Press release  (in German)  (PDF, 73 KB)

Contact persons:

Dr. Gudrun Wirtz
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
Department of Eastern Europe
Ludwigstr. 16, 80539 Munich
Phone:  +49 89 28638-2992
gudrun.wirtz@bsb-muenchen.de

Peter Schnitzlein
Press and Public Relations
Phone:  +49 89 28638-2429
presse@bsb-muenchen.de

About the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek:
Founded in 1558 by Duke Albrecht V, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek is an international research library of world renown. With more than 10.3 million volumes, around 59,000 current journals in electronic and printed form and almost 131,000 manuscripts, the library ranks among the world's most important centers of knowledge and heritage institutions. With more than 2 million digitized works, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek holds the largest digital data stock of all German libraries. The library offers a broad range of services in the field of innovative digital use scenarios.