Virtual exhibitions

There are many definitions of the Balkans: There are those who regard them as the interface between the Orient and the Occident. There are others who regard them as a historical region, which is characterised by its ethnic and religious variety and changing affiliations to various empires, among them Byzantium, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.

The photographer Harald Schmidt also found out that the image of the Balkans in our minds is strongly influenced by stereotypes. In 2015, he therefore decided to get to the bottom of his own preconceptions of South-East Europe and to document this venture photographically. A total of six times, he travelled across the Balkans together with his wife Annette in order to get acquainted with the countries and their people.

"Facing the Balkans" is an invitation to follow Harald Schmitt on his journey through South-East Europe. The exhibition takes the visitors from Slovenia in the north to Albania in the south, from Croatia in the west to Moldova in the east. Eight sections show the topics the photographer took a particular interest in. The digital edition is complemented by audio commentaries of the photographer on selected images (available shortly).

The images on display are characterised by Schmitt’s self-concept as a photo reporter. For more than three decades, he worked for the journal STERN; among other things, he spent six years as accredited correspondent in the German Democratic Republic. During the 1980s and 1990s, he travelled to the countries of Eastern Europe several times, in order to document the historical changes taking place there, such as the Velvet Revolution of 1989 in Czechoslovakia or the August Putsch of 1991 in Russia. He won the World Press Photo Award, the most important award in the field of press photography, six times for his work.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)
Facing the Balkans. South-East Europe in photographs by Harald Schmitt

On occasion of the upcoming 250th birthday of Martin Schrettinger (1772 – 1851), the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek presents the virtual exhibition "Monk, rebel, librarian".

Martin Schrettinger is one of the founders of modern librarianship in Germany. His works and ideas have been having a lasting effect until today, and the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek was deeply marked by him. The flood of books following the secularisation was controlled with help of his innovations in the area of cataloguing, especially his life work, the so-called "Schrettinger-Katalog". Besides this, the exhibition also sheds light on Schrettinger‘s early years as a monk at the Weißenohe Abbey, where he came into conflict with the authorities due to his progressive thoughts on Enlightenment. Last but not least, the exhibition includes also artificial-intelligence-based videos bringing Schrettinger himself "back to life" ...

The exhibition was realized as a practically-oriented team project by students of the Hochschule für den öffentlichen Dienst in Bayern/Fachbereich Archiv- und Bibliothekswesen (University of Public Service in Bavaria/Field of Specialisation of Archivistics and Librarianship) in cooperation with the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Virtual exhibition  
Monk, rebel, librarian. A virtual exhibition on the 250th birthday of Martin Schrettinger
(Note: Currently partly incorrect display due to technical reasons)

Watermarks were used to mark papers throughout the centuries. The virtual exhibition shows highlights from a project dedicated to the cataloguing and documentation of these marks.

A brief overview of the history of early papermaking opens the presentation. In the following, a broad thematic variety of watermarks is shown from the music manuscripts of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek from the late middle ages and Renaissance. The motifs mirror the design concepts of their time and, besides indications for the historical classification of the sources, also give interesting insights into cultural-historical relationships. On the basis of the large-format codices of the Munich court music ensemble of the 16th century on the one hand and important manuscripts from clerical and civil ownership on the other hand, the exhibition illustrates the use of paper for the production of music-specific types of sources, such as choir books or part books.

The watermark images presented were produced by means of thermography in the course of a DFG project at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. This technique permits researchers to take a very close look at the motifs, even if the marks are located below the ink in paper with very dense writing and are not visible to the naked eye.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)
Seeing through the paper. Watermarks in the music manuscripts of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek from the beginnings to the 17th century

270 historical images from the mid-19th century up to the 1970s extend an invitation to go on an exciting journey through time in Munich and its surroundings. The extraordinary photographs are from well-known Munich photographers, such as Franz Hanfstaengl, Georg Fruhstorfer, Felicitas Timpe or Heinrich Hoffmann.

The Image Archive of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, which manages the photographic legacies and image archives, offers a representative insight into the institution’s outstanding photograph collections.

"MUNICH. LOOK here!" sheds a light on minor and major events in the history of Munich and is presented in six focal points:

♦  Early photography (1839 to 1914)
♦  From Munich into the mountains
♦  Munich 1914 to 1945
♦  War damages and reconstruction
♦  Culture, culture, culture
♦  Between tradition and progress

Delve into the photographic archives of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek and go on an exciting journey through time.

Virtual exhibition
MUNICH. LOOK here! The Image Archive of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

When the Bavarian Elector Maximilian III Joseph died on 31 December 1777 without progeny, Karl Theodor (1724 – 1799), Count and Elector of Palatinate, became his successor in accordance with the contractually regulated rules of succession. Late in the summer of 1778, Karl Theodor moved his residence to Munich. Most musicians of his famous Mannheim court orchestra followed him. This orchestra was composed of outstanding instrumentalists from all over Europe. Their instrumental style, the so-called "Mannheim school", made history.

In the virtual exhibition, facsimiles of music manuscripts of the Mannheim composers are shown, among them the scores for the premières of Franz Paul Grua’s carnival opera "Telemaco" (1780) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s "Idomeneo", the symphony in E-flat major no. 54 by Christian Cannabich and the melodrama "Lenardo and Blandine" by Peter Winter. A large number of libretti on operas, melodramas and ballets of the court musicians are from the libretto collection of the painter Christian Her. In addition, first editions of printed sheet music, contemporary portraits and documentary materials will be put on show.

A number of musicians and their families will be introduced exemplarily, who accompanied Karl Theodor to Munich and who would have a decisive influence on music in Munich, not only during the time of rule of the Elector, but frequently up to far into the 19th century: the families Cannabich, Toeschi and Danzi and Peter Winter.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)
"There is no lack of various virtuosos here". Music at the Munich court of Elector Karl Theodor

The presentation "Life journeys" is centred on two German composers of the first half of the 20th century, whose personal papers are preserved by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: Heinrich Kaminski (1886 – 1946) and Hugo Distler (1908 – 1942).

Hugo Distler forms part of the most important German composers of spiritual and secular vocal music of his time. Heinrich Kaminski was an extraordinarily successful composer during his lifetime as well, but initially fell almost completely into oblivion after the Second World War.

Early compositions from the years of study have been preserved of both Heinrich Kaminski and Hugo Distler. Distler’s composing lessons with Hermann Grabner in Leipzig can even be reconstructed in detail. Drafts and clean copies of various important works of both composers are shown. Kaminski's life is well-documented in photographs. The exhibition shows a number of photographs particularly of Kaminski's life with his family, his students and guests of his house in Ried. For the most part, the images are on loan from the Heinrich Kaminski Association. From Hugo Distler's personal papers, the exhibition presents documents from this life, among them the reports written by his university professors in Leipzig, Günter Ramin, Hermann Grabner and Carl Adolf Martienssen. The presentation is complemented by programs, libretti and sheet music prints.

Virtuelle Ausstellung  (in German)
Heinrich Kaminski und Hugo Distler – Lebenswege

The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek has been searching its holdings for Nazi loot since 2003. The former owners had been bereft of their property due to the persecution by the National Socialists or had to leave it upon deportation, flight or emigration or sell it far below its actual value.

In a first project, the acquisitions between 1933 and 1945 were examined. During this period, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek increased its holdings by more than 65,000 books. Since the acquisition registers were destroyed by fire in a bombing raid, the books themselves need to be searched for indications of possible previous owners. Such clues can be handwritten ownership entries, exlibris, stamps or entries by librarians.

Stolen books came to the library also after the end of the war, for example through purchase from antiquarian book traders, donations or swap transactions. In 1948, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek had been given around 36,000 titles from the library of the former NS education center Sonthofen.

When the suspicion of a persecution-related dispossession has been confirmed and the heirs could be identified, the books are returned with as little red tape as possible. Since 2006 a total of 574 volumes could be restituted to 21 persons or institutions. The works were digitized, with their entries in the library catalogue being retained and complemented by information about the books’ history, also serving as reminders of the injustice committed.

The virtual exhibition presents information about the working methods of provenance research and about the research projects. Moreover, the short film "The case of Alexander Dünkelsbühler" integrated into the exhibition retraces the individual steps of a restitution – from finding the book to the search for the heir(s) and up to the book's restoration.

The search projects for Nazi loot at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek have been funded by the German Lost Art Foundation since 2013.

Virtual exhibition

The search for Nazi looted assets at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

In the mid-19th century, the zoologist Anton Dohrn (1840 – 1909), whose extensive personal papers are preserved by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, pursued the goal of establishing an institution on the Mediterranean Sea where biologists from all over the world could find ideal conditions for their research. His idea was to not only overcome national discrepancies, but to also bring together the various scientific and scholarly fields of specialisation with respect to questions of evolutionary biology.

The Zoological Station of Naples was opened in 1873. Dohrn financed the construction of the neoclassical building, the furnishing of the laboratories and the set-up of an internationally unique specialist library from his own funds, private donations and public subsidies. His project was supported by persons as famous as Charles Darwin, Karl Ernst von Baer, Thomas Henry Huxley, Emil du Bois-Reymond, Hermann von Helmholtz and Rudolf Virchow, among others. Almost all great zoologists of the time did research at the station. In the course of the years, for example, Fridtjof Nansen, Robert Koch, Theodor Boveri, Jacob van Rees, Nettie Stevens and Otto Warburg came to Naples.

After Anton Dohrn's death in the year 1909, the institution was directed by his son Reinhard, who likewise had studied biology. The institution still exists today, currently has almost 300 permanent employees and is funded by the Italian Ministry of Science and Research.

On the basis of numerous letters, i.a. from Charles Darwin, scientific manuscripts, photographs and drawings from the personal papers of Anton Dohrn, the virtual exhibition illustrates the scholarly and personal history of life of the zoologist and "science manager", as well as the history of the Zoological Station, in which scientists from all over the world conducted research on marine biology, and which served as a blueprint for many similar foundations.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)
Anton Dohrn and the Zoological Station in Naples. Documents from the personal papers of the zoologist

Titled "Gott, die Welt und Bayern", the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek presents one hundred highlights of the ten regional State Libraries of Bavaria in its treasure vaults from 17 October 2018 to 7 July 2019.

Medieval manuscripts, rare incunabula, valuable printed works, maps, globes, posters and letters: The diversity of exhibits that come to Munich from the vaults of the regional State Libraries is impressive. The so-called "Lorscher Arzneibuch", a medical manuscript dating back to the 9th century, certainly forms part of the absolute highlights of the first exhibition part. The manuscript was entered in the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 2013. The exhibition also showcases a Gutenberg Bible from 1454/ 55, the famous World Chronicle of Hartmann Schedel from 1493 and the "Hexenhammer" from 1496, with a handwritten entry reporting about a burning of a witch that had been unknown so far. Every manuscript is unique in its own way and tells its own story. The exhibition takes account of the regional and supra-regional meaning and importance of the pieces, thus presenting them in their cultural-historical context.

Accompanying the exhibition in the library, we also present a virtual exhibition of a number of select pieces, which will give you a sneak peek of the plethora of treasures awaiting you.

We are looking forward to your visit!

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

God, the World and Bavaria. 100 treasures from the regional State Libraries of Bavaria

The Swiss Cäcilie von Rodt (1855 – 1929), who descended from a patrician family from Bern, sold her parents' estate after their death. Inspired by the adventure stories of her youth – written by authors such as James F. Cooper and Jules Verne – she started travelling henceforth. After a number of first tours in the Mediterranean, she went on her first journey around the world on her own in May 1901, circling the globe once completely from east to west.

She recorded her experience in writing and published a 715 pages strong, richly illustrated report in 1903. Thirsty for knowledge, she addresses the history of every country she travelled, attentively compares the different perceptions of women in the cultures encountered, states observations on the behaviour of the colonial powers' representatives and tells enthusiastically about her joy of travelling, enjoyable travel groups, buzzing big cities and overwhelming impressions of nature.

Inspired by the travel route taken by Cäcilie von Rodt, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek shows a selection of contemporary city maps and photographs of her travel destinations in a virtual exhibition.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

Wanderlust – A journey around the world in city maps

The documentation of music in writing underwent continuous change in the course of Europe's history. Factors such as further developments of composition, the establishment of new music forms and genres or innovations in the construction of instruments always also had implications for the practice of notation. In the course of the centuries, the notation was adapted to the current conditions repeatedly and honed to best match the respective requirements.

This is visible particularly clearly in the transition period from the late middle ages to the early modern era. During this time, various specialised notation forms for instrumental music – the tablatures – were established in addition to the mensural notation for vocal music. Tablatures thus became an integral part in the canon of written music tradition in the course of the 16th century in particular. It is owed to the Bavarian dukes' enthusiasm for collecting that the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek currently preserves not only the monumental Renaissance choir books, but in addition around 70 further music manuscripts of this epoch, in the form of tablatures and part books. The manuscripts can be viewed in their entirety in the digital collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek free of charge.

The virtual exhibition shows a cross section of the holdings, offering an overview of the history, function and use of the tablatures. At the end of the tour, we present an additional video recording showing extracts of the workshop concert "To sing many a tune or to play the organ and the lute" – music from Renaissance manuscripts of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, and a film which was shot in the course of the preparations for the workshop concert.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

Many a tune – tablature manuscripts at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

The presentation "Images, images, images" was arranged on the occasion of the annual conference of the image archives of the Land media centers and of the public sector, which took place from 26 to 28 April 2017 at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. It shows a small selection from the various photographic archives of the library.

For the most part, they contain photographs, but also representations in original-graphic techniques such as xylographs, copper engravings and lithographies form part of this collection, which comprises over two million images today. It includes portraits, views of buildings, locations and landscapes, photographs of historical events and on ethnography. The focus is on Bavaria, but individual parts of the collection also reach clearly beyond. This is applicable particularly to photographs from the time of the Weimar Republic, the 3rd Reich, the Second World War and the post-war period.

The main attention is always on the documentary character of the images.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

Images, images, images – The photographic archives of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

On 6 March 2007 the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich, the then Bavarian Minister of Sciences Dr. Thomas Goppel and Google announced that the library was going to join Google's book search project. In cooperation with the Internet corporation, the copyright-free holdings of the library, focusing on works from the 17th to the end of the 19th century, were to be digitized – an important milestone in the digitization strategy of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

After developing and establishing a complex work flow, the digitization work finally started at the beginning of 2008. Over one million copyright-free books found their way to the web in this manner. In 2014, the main part of the work had been accomplished – the volumes were available to everybody, around the clock and regardless of location.

Today, ten years later, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek offers over two million volumes online, thus holding the largest digital data stock of all German libraries. The project has been expanded in the meantime, also including holdings of the state libraries in Regensburg, Passau and Augsburg, which are subordinated organisationally to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the cooperation, a virtual exhibition gives a small and varied – if certainly not representative – insight into the holdings digitized by Google. We hope you enjoy exploring and discovering the world of old books.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

Books to the web

Titled SHOWCASE, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek presents selected exhibits from its collection of artists' books, which has been expanded systematically since 1915, encompasses a large variety of topics and has today reached a top rank on an international level. SHOWCASE indicates the presentation of the books in glass cases that is characteristic of an exhibition in this library. The title likewise implies that these contemporary works of art are collected for the purpose of showing and browsing them, hence the part "show", but also within the meaning of a "case", exemplarily, in line with the targeted expansion of a collection that is special for an academic universal library.

SHOWCASE pursues the goal to effectively bring to bear the dynamism and multi-faceted expressiveness of these books, which are consciously chosen by artists as their form of expression. It illustrates the differences between the artists' approaches to using the medium of the book and the differences between their appearance, design, material and value. Books produced at low cost and as a mass product can be artists' books just like pricey books of a bibliophile appearance. With their ideas and new solutions, the artists also pursue further goals in addition to aesthetic value. They address society in a new language and with new forms of presentation, also pursuing political goals. Their urge to change is also expressed in the subculture of comics and zines.

Over 70 exhibits were presented in three exhibition rooms. The virtual review gives an impression of the exhibition and the exhibits presented in the showcases.

Virtual review
Showcase – Artists' books from the collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

On 18 June 1816, Gioachino Rossini's opera buffa "L'italiana in Algeri" was performed at the Munich court theatre. A memorable event, since this was not only the first time that an opera by Rossini was staged in Munich, but the first time in overall Germany! On stage, the opera was performed by the Italian troupe of the impresario Antonio Cera, a close friend of the young Rossini. Rossini's music took Munich by storm.

After the guest performance had been extended again and again up to the late autumn of 1816, "Tancredi" and "L'inganno felice" had been premiered as well only a few days after "L'italiana in Algeri" and "Ciro in Babilonia" had been staged in October in addition, the guest performances of Cera's troupe were institutionalised in Munich. Within a period of only eight years, between 1816 and 1824, the Italian opera ensemble presented 17 different operas by Rossini.

As of 1821, also the German ensemble of the court opera could no longer ignore the enthusiasm for Rossini. Now, there were additional performances of Rossini operas in the German language at the National Theatre.

The virtual exhibition shows sources of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek and a number of loans, all of which relate to the four Rossini operas staged in the year 1816: Performance materials (handwritten scores and voices), libretti, theatre handouts and reviews. Moreover, the unbelievable success of Rossini's operas in Munich is evidenced also by the adaptations of popular opera pieces for a large number of different instrumentations: The Munich music publishing house Falter published a broad range of individual editions of the most popular arias and duets from the Munich Rossini performances for music making in the private home, and the Munich court musicians Wilhelm Legrand, Peter Streck and Johann Baptist Widder adapted numerous pieces for wind-instrument dominated "Harmonie" music.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

"You, my dear Rossini! I will mention first" – Rossini's conquest of Munich in 1816

One hundred years ago, Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof died in Warsaw. The Jewish ophthalmologist is the inventor of the constructed language "Esperanto". Throughout his life, he strived to further international understanding and peace by means of a neutral language.

Zamenhof led an eventful life: Born on 15 December 1859 in Białystok, situated on Polish territory today, the son of a Jewish family witnessed already at an early age the conflict of the various population groups, which, due to different languages and the resulting communication difficulties, did not live together peacefully. Motivated by the desire to put an end to these misunderstandings, he developed a consciously constructed language already during his years at school and later on, while studying medicine. He published the language in 1887, which became widely known quickly under the pseudonym Dr. Esperanto that he was using.

The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek holds a rich collection of literature about and in the language Esperanto and about further constructed languages. The extensive collection of materials on constructed languages given to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek by the couple Haupenthal years ago merits special mention in this context.

The virtual exhibition "Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof" now offers further insight into the life and work of Zamenhof.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof – Founder of the constructed language "Esperanto"

Titled "Martin Luther and the early Reformation in Bavaria. Supporters, adversaries, sympathisers", the cultural portal bavarikon presents its first virtual exhibition in 2017, the year of the Reformation's anniversary. The exhibition is unique, not only with respect to its volume, but also the approach taken: Twenty-one cultural institutions take part in the virtual exhibition showing 123 high-carat exhibits. bavarikon thus depicts a fascinating image of the Reformation in Bavaria, at the same time enabling viewers to experience the reform movements and the counter-movements on a regional level in Old Bavaria, Franconia and Swabia.

The virtual exhibition on Martin Luther is a joint project of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (Centre of Bavarian History) and the Bavarian state archives. Under their leadership, 123 precious exhibits from all over Bavaria were brought together, uniting them for an exhibition for the first time. What is special: All exhibits are presented in an outstanding digital quality. The printed works and manuscripts shown as part of the exhibition can further be browsed from the first to the last page. This means that visitors of the virtual exhibition can have a close look at documents which are otherwise kept in archives or protected by glass cabinets.

Among the exhibits to be viewed there are i.a. 26 original autographs by Luther, hand-coloured Luther Bibles, the most important Reformation writings, the portraits of Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder, the Hedwig glass owned by Luther or the Regensburg Reformation altar. An impressive 3D presentation permits viewers to explore Luther's room in the fortress of Coburg, which has remained an important memorial site of the history of the Reformation.

Further information in the press release of 15 March 2017
Press release  (in German)  (PDF, 113 KB)

Virtual exhibition
Martin Luther and the early Reformation in Bavaria

The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek will henceforth present its big annual exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture, an Internet art and culture portal, and in the form of an app. The digital versions offer entirely new options to everybody interested in the exhibition. No matter whether you use them as an audio guide for visiting the exhibition, preparing your visit or for looking back on some particular items of the exhibition: The presentation on Google Arts & Culture now offers an appealing design and easy navigation free of charge.

The parts two "Ethereal and worldly" and three "Off to new pastures" of the three-part exhibition series "Worlds of images – Illumination and book illustration between the Middle Ages and the modern era" can already be viewed on Google Arts & Culture as virtual exhibitions.

Dr. Klaus Ceynowa, Director General: "The expansion of our extensive and highly frequented annual exhibitions to the virtual space maximises their visibility, ultimately on a global scale. As one of the first German cultural institutions to do so, we appreciate cooperating with Google Arts & Culture for this purpose."

Virtual exhibition  (in German)
Worlds of images – Illumination and book illustration between the Middle Ages and the modern era

Encompassing around 170 manuscripts, the holdings of choir books of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek represent a collection of world renown. The majority of the works is from the 16th and 17th centuries, characterized predominantly by the repertory of the Munich court music directors and court composers of the epoch. Ludwig Senfl and Orlando di Lasso are two of the most widely known names.

However, the choir books also contain copies of works of a multiplicity of further Renaissance composers, such as Josquin Des Prez, Cipriano de Rore or Heinrich Isaac, who did not work for the Wittelsbach dynasty, but whose art was still highly appreciated at the Munich court. A further part of the collection is constituted by valuable fragments of multi-part music, dating back as far as to the Notre-Dame epoch (12th and 13th centuries). A number of specimens of the collection were produced as late as in the mid-18th century, at the same time also marking an end point of the era of this particular type of manuscript.

The exhibition shows a cross section of the holdings, offering an overview of the history, function and use of the choir books. At the end of the tour, we additionally present a selection of films about the choir books of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Virtual exhibition  (in German)
Pleasing to the eye and the ear – The choir books of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek