Special Collections

Items from our historical holdings can be accessed in the special reading room by prior arrangement and appointment.

Please make sure to book your visit to the reading room at least one day in advance, by telephone or email. This is mandatory.
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Special Collections Department looks after the valuable historical holdings of the State Library and the Murhard Library of the City of Kassel. This includes more than 10,000 (mainly early modern) manuscripts, as well as the rich holdings of rare and old music prints of the landgravial court chapel and valuable bequests and autographs.

The Special Collections reading room is located in the building of the Murhard Library (1st floor). It also houses an extensive reference library with literature on book studies, codicology, book illustration, theology and liturgy of the Middle Ages, as well as alchemy and the history of medicine.