Descriptive Summary

Organization

Series I: Inventory, n.d., 1991.    1 folder.    This series is in English.

Scope and Content:

Series I contains an inventory of the collection. Included with the inventory are brief typed descriptions in English of the content of some of Selma Stern-Taeubler's handwritten diaries found in Series III, written by Dr. Maria Leschnitzer in 1991.

Series II: Research, 1713-1799.    1.5 linear feet.    This series is in German and French.

Scope and Content:

This series, the largest in the collection, mainly holds research notes copied from original sources, either typed or handwritten. The notes are excerpts of Prussian government records from the eighteenth century. Selma Stern-Taeubler used this information in her work Der Preußische Staat und die Juden.

The extensive notes are excerpts of Prussian laws enacted which concerned Jews. Topics covered include quotas of Jews or Jewish families, bank ownership, interest, taxes and fees, and trade. Many of the laws concern Schutzjuden (protected Jews) and their position in the community, such as the purchasing and pricing of Schutzpatente (protection rights), and revocations of protection. The majority of notes come from Berlin, although the first folder in the series contains notes from cities located in the present state of Nordrhein-Westphalen. Other cities represented here include Kleve, Potsdam, and Breslau. It should be noted that the city of Kleve is often spelled in the research notes as Cleve.

Although the majority of folders in this series are organized by geographical location, two are topical. One folder, "Notes - Christian Otto Mylius – Corpus Constitutionem Marchicarum (Erledyl)" contains excerpts from edicts produced by Mylius, a high-ranking government official under Friedrich II. Another folder focuses on laws dealing with Jewish politics.

In addition to the notes, this series contains statistical tables of Jews living in various Prussian cities. These may be found in several folders, especially "Notes - Wissenschaft vom Judentum," where all of the tables in this folder are handwritten. In addition to statistical tables, this folder holds more of the same excerpts found elsewhere in this series, from numerous cities. Other folders which contain these tables are: "Notes - Kurmark," "Notes and Tables - Kurmark, Potsdam," and "Notes - Berlin, Potsdam." Some tables in these folders are handwritten, but most are typed.

A little over one-half of the correspondence from the Woelfenbuettler Landesarchiv is in French.

Series III: Writings, n.d., 1904-1926. 1941-1946. 1950-1956.    0.6 linear foot.    This series is in German and Hebrew.

Scope and Content:

Series III is comprised of Selma Stern-Taeubler’s writings, both professional and personal.

Subseries 1: Manuscripts, 1950?. 1956?.    0.25 linear foot.    This subseries is in German.

Scope and Content:

This subseries is comprised of copies of manuscripts written by Selma Stern-Taeubler. Four folders in this subseries contain pages of Der Hofjude im Zeitalter des Absolutismus, which discusses the socioeconomic and political position of Jews in Europe during the time of absolutism between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. The fifth folder, entitled "Eugen Taeubler und der Wissenschaft des Judentums " holds a typed manscript concerning Eugen Taeubler's life and his reasons for promoting the study of Jewish history.

Subseries 2: Personal Writings, 1904-1926. 1941-1946. 1954.    0.35 linear foot.    This subseries is in German and Hebrew.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 2: Personal Writings holds mainly diaries, as well as some notes on an autobiography. Diary entries discuss Selma Stern-Taeubler's family, especially the death of her father and her feelings afterward. Many entries also concern World War I and the end of the war, as well as other subjects, such as Selma Stern-Taeubler’s growing interest in Judaism and the situation of the Jews, and her personal friendships, especially from 1913-1921. Stern-Taeubler was also fond of writing poetry, and many poems are in the diaries. There are no diary entries between 1921 and 1944 except for some poetry.

The diaries in the first folder of box 3 are three small, black notebooks. The notepad in the following folder is small and orange, and contains drafts of correspondence. Of the seven light blue exam books in box 3, folder 3 containing diary entries, three of them (C-G) focus on the time from November 1945 through mid-April 1946, the other entries in books A and B are written less frequently and span from 1944 through 1945. The folder "Ad Usum Propium" is comprised of a small black book with gray corners with this title and some loose papers. The book and papers in this folder contain poetry and a few notes. "Autobiography and Notes" holds three small volumes, mostly containing poetry, but also notes about an autobiography.

Series IV: Addenda, 1946-1981. 1993-1995.    0.3 linear foot.    This series is in English.

Scope and Content:

Series IV: Addenda is comprised of various items added at a later point to the collection. Although the majority of papers here is correspondence, there are also clippings and a few photographs and articles.

Many of the materials in this series concern Selma Stern-Taeubler’s published works, especially her book, Ihr seid meine Zeugen. Box 3, folder 9 and the following folder mainly contains correspondence to and from Selma Stern-Taeubler’s publisher of the book, Gotthold Müller, although there are also letters to Stern-Taeubler herself about the book, arranged alphabetically. The folder "Correspondence, Reviews" mainly contains clippings and reviews of Stern-Taeubler’s books, especially Ihr seid meine Zeugen and Jüd Süß, as well as a small amount of correspondence, usually concerning Ihr seid meine Zeugen.

Other folders in this series contain biographical information as well as several articles written by her. The folders "Notes, Clippings" and "Publications, Correspondence, Clippings" hold clippings and photocopies of Selma Stern-Taeubler’s obituaries and memorials to her, as well as reviews of her works. Box 3, folder 14 is comprised of similar materials, and contains obituaries and reflections on Selma Stern-Taeubler’s life on the occasion of her 90th birthday and photographs of her. In addition to biographical information, this folder also contains three published articles by her: “Hitler’s Ancestors,” “Der literarische Kampf um die Emanzipation in den Jahren 1816-1819,” and “Prinzipien der deutschen Judenpolitik zu Beginn der Neuzeit.”