Frankfurt University Library
Library
The Frankfurt University Library (German: Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (UB Frankfurt), or Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg, ISIL DE-30) is the library for the Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.
History
It originated in the 15th century as a town library and can be dated back to 1484. After the founding of the university (1914) it became the Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (StUB). In 1945, the libraries Stadtbibliothek, Rothschild'sche Bibliothek, Bibliothek für Kunst und Technik, Medizinische Zentralbibliothek, Manskopf'sches Museum für Musik- und Theatergeschichte merged. 2005 the StUB and the Senckenbergische Bibliothek united.
Library Profile
The Frankfurt University Library is one of the largest academic libraries in Germany and a member of the Collection of German Prints, the virtual German national library, covering the years 1801 till 1870. In 2021, the library has had 805,019 visitors. UB Frankfurt is a member of the Hessisches Bibliotheksinformationssystem (hebis) (Hessian library information system).
Central library
Zentralbibliothek (central library), Bockenheimer Landstr. 134–138, 60325 Frankfurt am Main (ISIL DE-30) (Library card or Goethe card is required to visit the reading rooms)
Branches
Sources:
Medizinische Hauptbibliothek (medicine), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Haus 10, 60596 Frankfurt am Main
Bibliothek Naturwissenschaften (natural sciences), Ruth-Moufang-Str.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Frankfurt University Library” is library. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Frankfurt, University and Library, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “library” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q875587. VIAF identifies the subject as 123368197. The Library of Congress control number is n2006016168. Authority coordinates are 50.120, 8.653. 4 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1484, 1914, 1945 and 2005.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Frankfurt University Library”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Frankfurt University Library primary sources, Frankfurt University Library archive and Frankfurt research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Frankfurt University Library”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Frankfurt University Library” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.