University and State Library Düsseldorf

The ULB houses one of the largest collections of works by and about Thomas Mann. It was established by the Germanist and bookseller Hans-Otto Mayer and not only comprises editions of complete works, rare first publications, manuscripts and translations into more than 40 languages but also secondary literature including an extensive archive of excerpts. Special catalogues have been written for detailed research in these large holdings. The collection is extended constantly.

The scripts that are kept in the ULB reach back to the 8th century. They largely come from holdings of Rhenish or Westphalian convents and preserve mainly liturgical and theological texts. Thus, one can find sources of inestimable value for numerous academic disciplines.

Nearly 1000 incunabula can be found in the holdings of the ULB. These valuable specimens, among them unica and fragments of seldom preserved "consume literature", show the beginnings of the art of printing. They originate predominantly from workshops of Rhenish or Dutch printers and offer a rich panorama of the regional book production at the beginning of the modern era.

In other collections, the ULB unites rare, valuable and unique parts of holdings that are installed as an ensemble. Deposita, unpublished works, donations, acquisition of rare books etc. were and are an important source for the constant growth of the library. These treasures and specialties – beyond their academic value – also contribute substantially to the profile of the ULB.