(Rare Books & Manuscripts) This collection comprises approximately 2,000 volumes of German literature, poetry, and drama, many of which were once owned by the poet Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810-1876). Freiligrath's personal library was later acquired by J. Montgomery Sears, of Boston.
In addition to rare editions of German folk songs and almanacs, the collection includes rare editions of many significant works. While generally rich in literature of the 16th through 19th centuries, the core strength of the collection is in its broad and extremely deep representation of German romantic poetry. A description of the collection was published in More Books (May, 1941, p. 179-189), opens a new window.
Those items in the collection that have so far been electronically cataloged can be retrieved in either of the online catalogs with a title search for "J. Montgomery Sears Collection and Library of Ferdinand Freiligrath (Boston Public Library)" (Rare Books & Manuscripts)
