picture info
Picture on the left: New Central Library Cologne, 1979. © Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln mit Rheinischem Bildarchiv, rba_mfL005222_63
Picture on the right: © Joshua Esters / LVR-Zentrum für Medien und Bildung
Germania Judaica
An academic library for all
Josef-Haubrich-Hof 1, 50676 Köln
The Germania Judaica – Kölner Bibliothek zur Geschichte des Deutschen Judentums e.V. (Cologne Library on the History of German Jewry) was located here in Cologne's Central Library from 1979 until mid-2024. Due to the renovation of the building, it will be relocated until 2028, but can still be used (as of May 2025).
The Germania Judaica collects publications on the history, culture and present of German-speaking Jewry. With around 100,000 items, it is the largest specialised library in Europe on this topic. It informs anyone who wants to know more about the diversity of Jewish life. Its readers include students and researchers as well as the interested public.
The library was founded in 1959 on the initiative of committed citizens who recognised that the public knew to little about German-Jewish history. The aim is to combat
anti-Semitism in society through information and education.