Hebräische Handschriften
Item
Country
DE
Name of institution (English)
Hamburg State and University Library "Carl von Ossietzky"
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
deu
Contact information: postal address
Von-Melle-Park 3, D- 20146 Hamburg
Contact information: phone number
0049 40/42838-2233
0049 40/42838 5846 (inquiries about the hebraica collection)
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
auskunft@sub.uni-hamburg.de
katrin.janzwenig@sub.uni-hamburg.de (inquiries about the hebraica collection)
katrin.janzwenig@sub.uni-hamburg.de (inquiries about the hebraica collection)
Reference number
Cod. Hebr.
Code Levy
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Hebrew Manuscripts
Title (official language of the state)
Hebräische Handschriften
Language of title
deu
Creator / accumulator
Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky (Stabi)
Date note
c.12th century/19th century
Language(s)
dut
fra
heb
lat
por
spa
Extent
c. 550 manuscripts
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Hebräische Handschriften contains around 550 Hebrew manuscripts, including 235 originally from the collection of Zacharias Konrad von Uffenbach (1683-1734), a Frankfurt scholar, and 174 manuscripts from the collection of the Jewish lawyer Hajjim Baruk Levy, purchased in 1906. The major focus of the collection is the manuscripts from Ashkenazic origins, but it also includes manuscripts from the Jewish communities in Hamburg and Altona and others produced in Sephardic contexts, as well as copies of works written by Sephardic authors. Some examples are the following:
Cod. Hebr. 205: "Mahzor minhag Sefarad le-khol ha-shanah", complete Spanish Prayer Book by Jeosuah of Medinaceli, 14th-15th centuries.
Cod. Hebr. 334, "Reposta ahum Papel, qui aqui mandou de França Xuma pesoa de nossa naçao" (Answer to a paper, that was sent here by a person of our nation), anti-Christian polemical writing by Moses Raphael de Aguilar translated by Johann Christoph Wolf’s (1683-1739).
Cod. Hebr. 85a: "Prevenciones Divinas Contra La vana Idolatria de las Gentes" (Divine Precautions Against the Vain Idolatry of the People) by Isaac Oróbio de Castro (1617-1687), 1713-1714. Another copy is in Code Levy 122.
Cod. Hebr. 240a: "Tratado ô Repuesta à un Cavallero Frances Reformado, que con el devido Secreto propuso differentes Questiones para probarle y Oponer a la Divina Ley, con Expecefice y demonstrativa Respuesta" (Treatise or reply to a Reformed French Knight), by Isaac Oróbio de Castro, 18th-century.
Cod. Hebr. 240b: "Respuesta a las proposiciones de vno que siendo de la naçion Judaica por se mostrar tan catolico cristiano quizo que se la Respondiese a ellas" (Answer to the propositions of one who, being of the Jewish nation, because he showed himself to be such a catholic Christian, wanted me to answer them) by Daniel ben Josef Abendana, 17th-century copy. Another copy is in Cod. hebr. 240i.
Cod. Hebr. 240c: "Questoins com Suas repostas que propor na academia de queter tora" (Questions with their answers to submit to the Keter Torah Academy) by Samuel de Leon. Hamburg, 1679.
Cod. Hebr. 85b: "Providençia de Dios con Ysrael y Verdad, y Eternidad de La Ley de Moseh, y nulidad de las demas Leyes" (Providence of God with Israel and Truth, and the Eternity of the Law of Moses, and the nullity of the other Laws) by Saul Levi Mortera (1596-1660), Amsterdam, 1674.
Cod. Hebr. 240d: "Livro de explicação de Mahamaxime" (Book to explain the Mahamaxime) by Saul Levi Mortera, Hamburg, 1710.
Cod. Hebr. 240e: "Preguntas hechas à los Xpianos yotras Cossas(!) tocantes a sus Evangelios por la orden dellos" (Questions asked to Christians and other things concerning their Gospels by the order of them) by Saul Levi Mortera, undated.
Cod. Hebr. 240g: "Dialogo curioso de dos hermanos differentes en la Profession de su ley y arguyentes sobre la verdad de cada qual" (A curious dialogue between two brothers who differ in the profession of their law and argue about the truth of each one), anonimous author, undated.
Cod. Hebr. 240k: "Essays du Vieillard du Mont Libanon pour servir d'Éxamen à certaines assertions du livre Du Vieillard du Mont Caucase" (Essays of the Old Man of Mount Lebanon to serve as an examination of certain assertions of the book Du Vieillard du Mont Caucase) by Benjamin Musaphia Fidalgo, Altona, 1791.
Code Levy 62: Order of bispera de Ros hodes y el Selihot que esquarenta dias antes del din de las Perdonãças (Prayers for Rosh Hodes and Yom Kipur), Amsterdam, 1646.
Code Levy 75: Collection of texts, including Saul Levi Mortera's "Declaraçion ael Talmud de Algunos lugares" (Apologetic explanation of some Talmud passages), a letter from Jerusalem in 1638, Immanuel Aboab's "Carta que de Levante escriuio el Jafan Ymanuel Aboab a un amigo" (Letter written by Imanuel Aboab from the Levant to a friend), Antonio Enríquez Gómez's Poem on the martyrdom of Don Lope de Vera y Alarcon, and Letter about the execution of Don Lope de Vera y Alarcon in Valladolid in 1644, 17th century.
Digital copies of most of these manuscripts are available online.
Cod. Hebr. 205: "Mahzor minhag Sefarad le-khol ha-shanah", complete Spanish Prayer Book by Jeosuah of Medinaceli, 14th-15th centuries.
Cod. Hebr. 334, "Reposta ahum Papel, qui aqui mandou de França Xuma pesoa de nossa naçao" (Answer to a paper, that was sent here by a person of our nation), anti-Christian polemical writing by Moses Raphael de Aguilar translated by Johann Christoph Wolf’s (1683-1739).
Cod. Hebr. 85a: "Prevenciones Divinas Contra La vana Idolatria de las Gentes" (Divine Precautions Against the Vain Idolatry of the People) by Isaac Oróbio de Castro (1617-1687), 1713-1714. Another copy is in Code Levy 122.
Cod. Hebr. 240a: "Tratado ô Repuesta à un Cavallero Frances Reformado, que con el devido Secreto propuso differentes Questiones para probarle y Oponer a la Divina Ley, con Expecefice y demonstrativa Respuesta" (Treatise or reply to a Reformed French Knight), by Isaac Oróbio de Castro, 18th-century.
Cod. Hebr. 240b: "Respuesta a las proposiciones de vno que siendo de la naçion Judaica por se mostrar tan catolico cristiano quizo que se la Respondiese a ellas" (Answer to the propositions of one who, being of the Jewish nation, because he showed himself to be such a catholic Christian, wanted me to answer them) by Daniel ben Josef Abendana, 17th-century copy. Another copy is in Cod. hebr. 240i.
Cod. Hebr. 240c: "Questoins com Suas repostas que propor na academia de queter tora" (Questions with their answers to submit to the Keter Torah Academy) by Samuel de Leon. Hamburg, 1679.
Cod. Hebr. 85b: "Providençia de Dios con Ysrael y Verdad, y Eternidad de La Ley de Moseh, y nulidad de las demas Leyes" (Providence of God with Israel and Truth, and the Eternity of the Law of Moses, and the nullity of the other Laws) by Saul Levi Mortera (1596-1660), Amsterdam, 1674.
Cod. Hebr. 240d: "Livro de explicação de Mahamaxime" (Book to explain the Mahamaxime) by Saul Levi Mortera, Hamburg, 1710.
Cod. Hebr. 240e: "Preguntas hechas à los Xpianos yotras Cossas(!) tocantes a sus Evangelios por la orden dellos" (Questions asked to Christians and other things concerning their Gospels by the order of them) by Saul Levi Mortera, undated.
Cod. Hebr. 240g: "Dialogo curioso de dos hermanos differentes en la Profession de su ley y arguyentes sobre la verdad de cada qual" (A curious dialogue between two brothers who differ in the profession of their law and argue about the truth of each one), anonimous author, undated.
Cod. Hebr. 240k: "Essays du Vieillard du Mont Libanon pour servir d'Éxamen à certaines assertions du livre Du Vieillard du Mont Caucase" (Essays of the Old Man of Mount Lebanon to serve as an examination of certain assertions of the book Du Vieillard du Mont Caucase) by Benjamin Musaphia Fidalgo, Altona, 1791.
Code Levy 62: Order of bispera de Ros hodes y el Selihot que esquarenta dias antes del din de las Perdonãças (Prayers for Rosh Hodes and Yom Kipur), Amsterdam, 1646.
Code Levy 75: Collection of texts, including Saul Levi Mortera's "Declaraçion ael Talmud de Algunos lugares" (Apologetic explanation of some Talmud passages), a letter from Jerusalem in 1638, Immanuel Aboab's "Carta que de Levante escriuio el Jafan Ymanuel Aboab a un amigo" (Letter written by Imanuel Aboab from the Levant to a friend), Antonio Enríquez Gómez's Poem on the martyrdom of Don Lope de Vera y Alarcon, and Letter about the execution of Don Lope de Vera y Alarcon in Valladolid in 1644, 17th century.
Digital copies of most of these manuscripts are available online.
Archival history
The State and University Library has around 8,100 medieval and non-European manuscripts from a wide variety of subject areas. To date, almost half of these have been indexed in the catalogue of manuscripts printed in the Hamburg State and University Library. Due to the war-related relocation in 1943/44, around 1,700 codices are still missing, despite the return from East Berlin (1989), Moscow (1990), Tbilisi (1996) and Yerevan (1998).
The history of the manuscript collection goes back to the beginning of the library more than 500 years ago. Constantly increasing through donations from Hamburg citizens and scholars, the collection is primarily characterised by extensive material on European and Hamburg scientific and educational history and on the history of the Reformation and the North German Enlightenment, among other things.
Of particular importance are legacies from personalities from the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums and the Hamburger Akademischen Gymnasiums, and circles such as Sebastian von Bergen (1554-1623), Rudolph Capellus (1635-1684), Johann Adolph Tassius (1585-1654), Marquard Schlegel (1605-1653), Joachim Jungius (1587-1657), the Lindenbrog family, Lucas Holstenius (1596-1661) and Vincent Placcius (1642-1699).
The library owes its greatest increase in illuminated manuscripts to the two brothers Johann Christoph (1683-1739) and Johann Christian Wolf (1690-1770), who in turn bought 2,000 volumes from the library of the Frankfurt patrician Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach (1683-1734).
The history of the manuscript collection goes back to the beginning of the library more than 500 years ago. Constantly increasing through donations from Hamburg citizens and scholars, the collection is primarily characterised by extensive material on European and Hamburg scientific and educational history and on the history of the Reformation and the North German Enlightenment, among other things.
Of particular importance are legacies from personalities from the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums and the Hamburger Akademischen Gymnasiums, and circles such as Sebastian von Bergen (1554-1623), Rudolph Capellus (1635-1684), Johann Adolph Tassius (1585-1654), Marquard Schlegel (1605-1653), Joachim Jungius (1587-1657), the Lindenbrog family, Lucas Holstenius (1596-1661) and Vincent Placcius (1642-1699).
The library owes its greatest increase in illuminated manuscripts to the two brothers Johann Christoph (1683-1739) and Johann Christian Wolf (1690-1770), who in turn bought 2,000 volumes from the library of the Frankfurt patrician Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach (1683-1734).
Administrative / Biographical history
The origins of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg date back to the 15th century. In 1479-81, Hinrich Murmester (1435-1481), the mayor of Hamburg, founded a city library, which is considered the predecessor of the State and University Library. In 1610, the senator and later mayor Sebastian von Bergen (1554-1623) managed to obtain from the Senate the power to ask Hamburg citizens and members of the guilds to donate books and money to the Johanneum library. The growth in the number of holdings led to the establishment of a library hall in St. Johannis Kloster in 1648.
In the course of the 17th century, the library received different private book and manuscript collections from the canon and lawyer Friedrich Lindenbrog (1573-1648), the mathematician Johann Adolph Tassius (1585-1654), the doctor and naturalist Joachim Jungius (1587-1657), the city physicist Paul Marquard Schlegel (1605-1653), the cantor Thomas Selle (1599-1663), the director of the Vatican Library Lucas Holstenius (1596-1661; partial estate), the philologist Vincent Placcius (1642-1699), and the Ducal Brunswick privy councillor and chancellor Heinrich Langenbeck (1603-1669), among others. These donations increased the inventory of the public library to 25,000 volumes. This increase also benefited from the decision taken by the senate, in 1696, that publishers and printers had to deliver the books they produced to the library.
The library received its most valuable addition through the donations of the brothers Johann Christoph Wolf (1683-1739) and Johann Christian Wolf (1690-1770). Johann Christoph Wolf was a professor of oriental languages at the Hamburger Akademischen Gymnasiums and a senior pastor at St. Catherine's Church, and he owned an important collection of books and numerous Occidental, Hebrew, and Oriental manuscripts. In 1739, he donated his private library to the city, including his extensive collection of letters from scholars. Johann Christian Wolf, a professor of physics and poetry at the same academy and head of the library, also bequeathed his book and manuscript collections to the city.
The city library grew to over 50,000 volumes, making it one of the most important city libraries in Germany. The building was then demolished, and a new one opened in the same area in 1751. In 1835, the library held 119,000 volumes. Once more, a new building was needed, which was founded in 1840. Then, the collections grew rapidly. Towards the end of the 19th century, the library owned around 560,000 volumes, in part as a result of the new acquisitions of private libraries. When the University of Hamburg was founded in 1919, the city library was also given the task of a university library.
In 1943, at the time of World War II, the library gathered around 850,000 volumes, of which more than 700,000 were destroyed in the air raids. It became the German library with the greatest war losses. Since the library building had also been destroyed, a building on Moorweidenstraße was used as a temporary facility. New buildings were built in 1960 (book depository) and 1968 (administrative facility). The keystone of the building complex, with the reading rooms, was only completed in 1982. One year later, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Nazi book burnings, the library was given the name of the journalist, writer and pacifist Carl von Ossietzky (1889-1938). It has since been called the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky.
The library currently has a collection of 5.3 million units. As the central scientific library in Hamburg, it serves the Hamburg universities and the scientifically interested population of Hamburg.
In the course of the 17th century, the library received different private book and manuscript collections from the canon and lawyer Friedrich Lindenbrog (1573-1648), the mathematician Johann Adolph Tassius (1585-1654), the doctor and naturalist Joachim Jungius (1587-1657), the city physicist Paul Marquard Schlegel (1605-1653), the cantor Thomas Selle (1599-1663), the director of the Vatican Library Lucas Holstenius (1596-1661; partial estate), the philologist Vincent Placcius (1642-1699), and the Ducal Brunswick privy councillor and chancellor Heinrich Langenbeck (1603-1669), among others. These donations increased the inventory of the public library to 25,000 volumes. This increase also benefited from the decision taken by the senate, in 1696, that publishers and printers had to deliver the books they produced to the library.
The library received its most valuable addition through the donations of the brothers Johann Christoph Wolf (1683-1739) and Johann Christian Wolf (1690-1770). Johann Christoph Wolf was a professor of oriental languages at the Hamburger Akademischen Gymnasiums and a senior pastor at St. Catherine's Church, and he owned an important collection of books and numerous Occidental, Hebrew, and Oriental manuscripts. In 1739, he donated his private library to the city, including his extensive collection of letters from scholars. Johann Christian Wolf, a professor of physics and poetry at the same academy and head of the library, also bequeathed his book and manuscript collections to the city.
The city library grew to over 50,000 volumes, making it one of the most important city libraries in Germany. The building was then demolished, and a new one opened in the same area in 1751. In 1835, the library held 119,000 volumes. Once more, a new building was needed, which was founded in 1840. Then, the collections grew rapidly. Towards the end of the 19th century, the library owned around 560,000 volumes, in part as a result of the new acquisitions of private libraries. When the University of Hamburg was founded in 1919, the city library was also given the task of a university library.
In 1943, at the time of World War II, the library gathered around 850,000 volumes, of which more than 700,000 were destroyed in the air raids. It became the German library with the greatest war losses. Since the library building had also been destroyed, a building on Moorweidenstraße was used as a temporary facility. New buildings were built in 1960 (book depository) and 1968 (administrative facility). The keystone of the building complex, with the reading rooms, was only completed in 1982. One year later, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Nazi book burnings, the library was given the name of the journalist, writer and pacifist Carl von Ossietzky (1889-1938). It has since been called the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky.
The library currently has a collection of 5.3 million units. As the central scientific library in Hamburg, it serves the Hamburg universities and the scientifically interested population of Hamburg.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is organised under the general rules of libraries.
Links to finding aids
Existence and location of copies
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2022
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
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| Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky (Stabi) | Collections (official language of the state) |
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|---|---|---|
| כתיב (Ktiv) | Existence and location of originals |