Rare books
The University Library houses a wide spectrum of printed materials published before 1900. They originate from the collections of the University Library in Ingolstadt, the forerunner of the University Library in Munich, with additional holdings being transferred from private archives, and from Bavarian monasteries following secularisation.
The focus of the collections is on the following subjects:
- theology and ecclesiastical history
- law
- languages and literature
- history
- classical and modern political science
- medicine
Complete private libraries acquired by the University Library
Nine private libraries were acquired in their entirety and are now housed under the names of their previous owners:
- Library of the theology professor and President of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities Ignaz von Döllinger (1799-1890) with 30,000 volumes
- Library of the lawyer and fiscal counsel Heinrich Hofmann (died 1877) with 6,600 volumes
- Library of Karl Krall (1863-1925) with 7,000 volumes on animal psychology, spiritualism and the occult
- Library of the India specialist Ernst Kuhn (1846-1920) with about 6,000 volumes
- Library of the ecclesiastical historian and Spanish specialist Friedrich Kunstmann (1811-1867) with 1,100 volumes
- Library of the professor of political science and President of the Chamber of Representatives Joseph von Pözl (1814-1881) with 3,500 books and brochures
- Library of the professor of medicine Franz Reisinger (1790-1855) with about 5,000 volumes
- Library of Karl August Wibmer (1803-1885), personal physician to King Otto of Greece, with 1,700 volumes
- Library of the book-lover and collector Carl Georg v. Maassen (1880-1940)
