Special collections and literary bequests at the TIB Social Sciences site

Documentation of unemployment and its social and psychological effects

The documentation contains around 4,000 bibliographical references from the specialisation of unemployment research from the former Institute of Psychology at Leibniz Universität Hannover. The documents reflect the national and international scientific debate of the 1990s.

How can you access the documentation on unemployment research?

The references are indexed and described in the Unemployment: Social and Psychological Effects database.

Documentation on the education policy of Lower Saxony state parliamentary group of the SPD

This collection comprises some 200 files containing historical documents and archive materials of the Lower Saxony state parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during its time in opposition from 1976 to 1990. The documents were bequeathed to TIB Social Sciences as a permanent loan by Professor Rolf Wernstedt. Letters, notes, printed minutes and newspaper cuttings provide information about programmatic debates on school, higher education and education policy held at that time in Lower Saxony. These documents reflect the processes and methods of work in opposition, forms of public relations (touring town and cities) and open up new sources for biographical research. The files, arranged by education policy keywords such as school and higher education policy, vocational work and adult education, are indexed individually with tables of content.

How can you access the special collection on education policy?

The files are contained in the Education Policy of Lower Saxony state parliarmentary group of the SPD Database, which can be used for electronic keyword searches.

Erich Gerlach Bequest

Erich Gerlach (1910-1972), Member of the State Parliament of Lower Saxony for the SPD from 1947 to 1972, editor of the journal "Sozialistischen Politik" (1954-1963), publisher of the writings of Karl Korsch; lecturer at Hannover University from 1969 to 1972.

The bequest comprises a comprehensive collection of studies on syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism (Spanish Civil War, Brazil, Argentina), workers' self-management (Yugoslavia), Marxist economics, and studies on the theories of Karl Korsch. The collection also includes reams of correspondence related to the journal "Sozialistische Politik", syndicalism and Trotskyism and working ties with politicians and scientists. There are also extensive materials and excerpts concerning the history of the international worker's movement, socialism, Marxism, anarchism, the trade union movement, and critiques of political economy.

An exclusive research library was also bequeathed containing a rare collection of journals from the early years of the German Federal Republic and workers' movements in France, Spain and Latin America.

How can you access the Erich Gerlach Bequest?

The collection of monographs from the research library is contained in the TIB Portal and can be used in the Reading Room. The collection of journals from the research library and all other bequeathed items can be used in the archive rooms by appointment with the specialist department.

Rudolf Sinz Bequest

The economist and sociologist Rudolf Sinz (1940-1976) lectured at Hannover University from 1972 to 1976. The bequest comprises manuscripts and excerpts related to his unfinished PhD thesis on the subject of "Die Kritik der Politischen Ökonomie als Theorie der gesellschaftlichen Produktion" ("Criticique of Political Economy as a Theory of Social Production").

How can you access the Rudolf Sinz Bequest?

The bequeathed items can be used in the archive rooms by appointment with the specialist department.

Bequest of Werner and Emmy Scholem

The bequest mainly includes correspondence by Werner and Emmy Scholem written during their time in concentration camps; documents belonging to family members and friends about the attempt to rescue Werner Scholem from detention; and letters written by other people. The documents are arranged in chronological order and indexed by means of a finding aid with registers.

How can you access the Scholem Bequest?



Dr. Susanne Nicolai

Phone: +49 511 7625993