The Bibliothek des Metropolitankapitels München

The book collections from the Bibliothek des Metropolitankapitels München (Library of the Munich Metropolitan Chapter) together with those from the Dombibliothek Freising (Cathedral Library Freising) form the Diözesanbibliothek des Erzbistums München und Freising (Diocesan Library of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising).

After the transfer of the bishop’s seat from Freising to Munich in 1821, the newly established diocesan administration (which was largely identical to the Metropolitan Chapter in terms of personnel) initially had no books for its official needs. The basis for rebuilding a library was the book bequests by a number of clergymen (including Johann Evangelist Ruedorffer, Lorenz von Westenrieder, Augustin Hacklinger, Joseph von Heckenstaller), remains of the library from the former Augustinian canons’ monastery of Höglwörth and duplicates which, with royal permission, were allowed to be selected from the court library in 1823.

The Cathedral Chaplain, later Vicar General and Cathedral Provost Dr Martin von Deutinger (1789-1854) purposefully built up the Bibliothek des Metropolitankapitels as a working library on all the ordinariate’s areas of work and eventually also bequeathed his extensive private library with a strong history focus (with almost 23,000 volumes) to the Chapter. Other book bequests from canons were added later.

For a long time, the library was administered in a part-time capacity by ordinariate registrars, from 1899 by the clergyman and historian Dr Max Fastlinger (1866-1918), and from 1910 to 1960 by cathedral chaplain Dr Michael Hartig (1878-1960). The latter saved the majority of the book collection during the Second World War by relocating it just in time. The library has been housed in the converted former Carmelite church since 1958. As of 31 December 2015, ownership of the book collections was transferred in full from the Munich Metropolitan Chapter to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

The library mostly worked in union with the same staff and rooms as the archdiocesan archives, and its acquisitions in recent decades were primarily geared to the needs of the archive’s users. To this day, the Munich location of the diocesan library mainly houses literature on history and current life in the archdiocesan area as well as on contemporary ecclesiastical history.

• The objects of the Bibliothek des Metropolitankapitels München available on bavarikon

Collections owned by the Bibliothek des Metropolitankapitels München available on bavarikon

• Selected incunabula of the Dombibliothek Freising and the Bibliothek des Metropolitankapitels München