Thanks to the work to extend and refurbish the Musée Unterlinden, the museum’s library with its 15,000 volumes, mainly devoted to all branches of the history of art, has been accessible since September 2017 to researchers, students, art lovers and anyone with an interest. The books are available to consult in situ.
The origins of the library date back to 1847 and the creation of the Société Schongauer, the association that runs the museum. Gifts from generous members formed the initial collection. The library was gradually expanded thanks to subscriptions to various art journals, the bulletins of a large number of learned societies pursuing the same aims as the Société Schongauer, and acquisitions of art books and publications. It was also supplemented by the collections of Jean-Jacques Reubell, the family of Ignace Chauffour, Alfred Betz, Paul Brouland, and finally, Jean-Paul Person.
Around 1000 books dating essentially from the 18th and 19th century constitute the library’s heritage collection. Some of them, which have become fragile over time, have benefitted from the interventions of restorers specialising in preventative conservation. These rare books are finally accessible.
The catalogue of the Museum’s Library can be consulted on the portal operated by the City of Colmar’s library network.
https://bibliotheque.colmar.fr
The Museum’s Library was created with the support of the Haut-Rhin Departmental Council and its generous patrons: ACEF68, DECOBURO, WELEDA.
The Library is open by appointment on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Contact: Corinne Sigrist
csigrist@musee-unterlinden.com
+33 (0)3 89 20 22 76 (Monday to Friday 8 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm)