Report on the book-entry work

Delivered to the Theresienstadt Ghetto to the hands of Dr. Murmelstein, the special order given for the book collection set the task of cataloging the Hebrew books contained in the book shipment to Theresienstadt according to the instructions applicable to the Prussian state libraries.

To characterize the difficulties associated with this order, only the following circumstances must be mentioned.

The collaborators were persons who did understand the Hebrew language and who were generally competent to carry out the required transcription, but they had only the slightest extensive knowledge of individual branches of literature and in no way actual knowledge of the Hebrew bibliography.

Furthermore, the lack of space had a very unfavorable effect.

In order to compile the extensive series of works such as the Talmud, Decisors, Bible editions, etc., and to completely record the numerous duplicates, it would have been absolutely necessary to list all the material, since the processes prescribed by the circumstances, where the contents could only placed in a few boxes at the workplace at any given time, any overview of the other, still existing parts was missing. The signatures applied by previous owners, which denoted what belonged together, were taken into account, but they were not an infallible feature either, since for practical reasons - bibliographical aspects were mostly alien to the previous owners - parts of other editions were used to supplement incomplete copies.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the bibliographical material promised by the clients was not sent: only in the course of the work were relevant works selected from the continuous material and used for cataloging.

How inadequate the apparatus remained despite all efforts becomes clear when it is mentioned that Steinschneider's Ha-maskir, Benjakob's Ogar, and Zedner's and Cowley's catalogs were completely missing, some volumes of the journal for Hebrew bibliography were not available, only the first issue of Wienr's Kohillat Mosche.

As can be seen from the commission outlined above, dealing with the material sent to Theresienstadt was divided into two main parts: the precise cataloging of the works written in Hebrew script and language, and the classification of the remaining material according to special areas, i. e. manuscripts that were only briefly recorded, Hebrew magazines, magazines in Hebrew script and non-Hebrew language, works in Hebrew script and non-Hebrew language, other magazines and works.

All the material was in 581 boxes, which were successively brought to the work site, where they were either set out for cataloging or, if the order did not refer to them, counted and repacked.

Since a considerable number of the boxes were in a condition that made further use impossible and there was a lack of box material, it became necessary to pack extensive series works in bundles. Also, the existing crates had to be used in a much more economical way by packing the largest possible number of books as compared to what was often the case with the crates sent in. A number of boxes labeled Ottilien-Kirche as special Catholic literature were not brought to the workplace. In addition, a number of unpacked books remained in the Ravellin XVIII camp - mostly magazines in German.

The unrecorded book material is in 108 boxes in the Ravelin XVIII camp and amounts to approximately 12,000 volumes. There are still 4 such boxes at the workplace and 6 of the last black boxes delivered /numbers 342, 347, 352, 365, 369, 371/ in total 10 boxes; there are also 8 old boxes with magazines and manuscripts.

As for the cataloging itself, as instructed, the titles were arranged alphabetically by author; For the names of the authors, the rule was to arrange those living around 1800 according to the Hebrew first names, those from then on according to the family names, the biblical anonymous according to the titles in the Vulgate and serial works in alphabetical order by name.

Signing started with Jc 3001, the highest number is 19,225. This number includes 28,245 books out of 16,225 signatures; Duplicates were generally given the same signature.

This book material was recorded on 25,807 main index cards and 15,061 reference slips.

In the course of work it turned out to be beneficial to create an index arranged according to the book titles, which is available on 17,379 index sheets, for 58,247 index sheets altogether.

On the reverse side of each main card index, the more detailed provisions can be seen from the available bibliographic apparatus. The following works are also worth mentioning:

Steinschneider: Catalog of the Bodleiana, bibliogr. handbook /linguistics, historical literature, translations and a number of smaller works/

Roest: Rosenthaliana - Catalog and Beth sefer

Fürst: bibl. Jew. /many/

Zeitlin: Biblical Post Mendelsohniana

Wachstein: Viennese religious community /Salo Cohn donation/ and Viennese journalism

Journal for Hebrew bibliography /if available/

Kiryat sefer /until 1938/1939/

Special Index of Fiction in the National Library of Jerusalem

Füner: Kneset Israel

Eisenstein: Dor we-choschanew

Jewish Encyclop. and Encyclops. Judaica /I – X/

Löwenstein Fürth, Weinberger 1Note 1: Weinberg Sulzbach, Biberfeld Karlsruhe and a whole series of other monographs.

Towards the end of the work, Friedberg, Beth eked sefarim, was borrowed from the central library and worked through in full. In this copy as well as in a number of the books mentioned, the existing books were marked by crossing them off.

This bibliographical apparatus is located there in the following order:

Black box No. 366 main index and reference slips J – Z

Black box No. 367 main index and reference slips A - H

Black Box No. 374 Title Index A - R

Black Box No. 374 Title Index J – Z

This signed material is in 257 cases and 237 bundles in the Ravellin XVIII camp.

At the workplace there are still 12 old boxes - particularly worth mentioning are those with the signature T.49 H. W. W. - Hebrew Journals, which contain 4 incunabula and a number of remarkable, valuable bindings - plus the black boxes No. 321, 336, 340, 343, together 16 cases and 6 bundles.

Theresienstadt, May 13, 1945

signed Dr. Muneles

Muneles

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