Die Botschaft der Bücher und die Aufgabe der Bibliotheken
The message of the books and the task of the libraries

Summary/Abstract: The name of Karl Dedecius is very closely linked to the term “library.” His canon of fifty outstanding works of Polish literature in German translation was entitled Polish Library, his anthology of Polish literature from nine centuries published in 2011 was called My Polish Library and it was undoubtedly due to his work and his commitment that the German Institute of Poland can today lay claim to being one of the largest specialised libraries in the German-speaking countries dedicated to Poland and Polish culture. Based on written statements by Karl Dedecius himself as well as additional remarks by Andreas Lawaty, one of his closest collaborators at the German Institute of Poland, the paper describes the relationship of the renowned translator and editor with books and libraries as well as with the book trade and publishing companies. It furthermore touches upon the aesthetics of print publications as well as the bibliophilic love of books. It becomes clear that Dedecius was not an ardent library user in the classic meaning of the word, but that he was more than aware of the importance of libraries open to the public for the dissemination of knowledge about Polish culture. In the second part of the paper, a selection of the most important general and specialised libraries in Germany with holdings related to Poland is presented. In this context, the paper discusses also the challenges that the libraries have to face if they wish to offer their users comprehensive information about Polish history and culture.

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