The Jewish Museum Hohenems maintains a specialized library with around 10,000 volumes, including several journals and book series. The main focus is on Jewish regional history, Jewish folklore and religion, the science of Judaism as well as Zionism, and the history of Israel, but also anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. In addition, a considerable number of reference works, exhibition catalogs, as well as periodicals and working papers on the topics of the museum projects can be viewed.
The collection and preservation of books on museum-related topics began as early as the 1990s. Until the end of 2015, the majority of the books were kept in the rooms of the former Jewish coffee house Kitzinger – only a few books of interest to visitors, for example on topics of the special exhibitions or aspects of the permanent exhibition, were placed in the in-house media room. Numerous copies from previous and subsequent legacies, donations, as well as the museum’s own purchases allowed the museum library to grow continuously. This led to the library’s relocation to Marktstraße 7, opposite the museum building, at the beginning of 2016.
The new facilities now offer space for the library, as well as office space, a workroom for the archive, and another room that can be used for seminars, workshops, and film screenings. Both the library and the museum’s various collections are open for research and educational use. The online catalog ► (in German), as well as other databases can also be searched.
The library is a reference library. You can use the books during opening hours, but you cannot borrow them.