Marmorstein Collection

Date range: 16th-20th centuries

Medium: Printed

Number of items: 4,500 items

A collection of Judaic literature, formerly the working library of Dr Arthur (Avraham) Marmorstein (1882-1946), a noted European rabbinic scholar of Hungarian origin who taught at Jews’ College, London, from 1912 to 1946.

The collection, purchased by the Library in 1977, contains Hebraica and Talmudic literature from the 16th century onwards, but mainly from the 19th century. It includes over 250 pre-1800 titles.

It is especially rich in classical rabbinic texts and in East European responsa. Some 40 per cent of the collection is in Hebrew, 25 per cent in English and 25 per cent in German, with a significant minority in Hungarian. The remainder of the collection includes works in French, Italian, Latin, Aramaic, Yiddish and Judaeo-Arabic.

The collection also contains a small quantity of Marmorstein’s own research papers, and a handful of manuscripts collected by him.

See also:

• Haskalah Collection
• Moses Gaster Collection
• Teltscher Collection

Further information:

Catalogue available online via Library Search.

The Marmorstein Collection by Brad Sabin Hill (2017) unpublished report available via Special Collections reading rooms.

Location:

• The John Rylands Library, Deansgate  [Map]
• Find out how to use the reading rooms in the John Rylands Research Institute and Library