The Friedrich-von-Raumer-Bibliothek (Friedrich von Raumer Library) is a public library in Berlin. It was founded in 1850 and is located in Berlin's Kreuzberg locality on Dudenstraße."Friedrich-von-Raumer-Bibliothek", in: Kathrin Chod, Herbert Schwenk and Hainer Weißpflug, Berliner Bezirkslexikon: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin: Haude & Spener / Edition Luisenstadt, 2003, p. 158. . After several moves the library found its current location in 1955 in a block of flats of the services trade union Ver.Di by and Max Taut. The library is located in the rotunda, westerly protruding from the block of flats, and in the ground floor of that block. The Raumer Library is a so-called neighbourhood library (Stadtteilbibliothek) within the Stadtbibliothek Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (city library of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough), and as such part of the Verbund der Öffentlichen Bibliotheken Berlins (VÖBB), the network of public libraries owned by the city-state.
Names of the library From its foundation until 1920 the library's official name was Volks⸗Bibliothek No. I at first, since 1870s rather Volksbibliothek I (i.e. people's library No. I). After the Kingdom's transformation into the Free State of Prussia, with many expressions like the term from (transcription: bibliothēkē) and Roman numerals being replaced by designations then considered more demotic, the name became 1. Volksbücherei, meaning the same.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 16. No ISBN. In 1921 the 4. Volksbücherei was merged with 1. Volksbücherei under the latter name in the former's location. In 1955, on the occasion of moving into a new location, the Library No. I was renamed as Friedrich-von-Raumer-Bücherei in honour of the initial initiator of Berlin's first public libraries, since this library is the successor of two of Berlin's altogether four original public libraries founded in 1850.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 30. No ISBN. When in 1995 the more functional name Stadtteilbibliothek Dudenstraße (neighbourhood library on Dudenstraße) was added,In 1995 each branch public library in reunited Berlin was uniformly renamed as Stadtbibliothek, replacing the expression Stadtbezirksbibliothek in East Berlin and Stadtbücherei in West Berlin. Cf. Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 37. No ISBN. the full name got adapted to Friedrich-von-Raumer-Bibliothek.
History The Raumer Library traces back its origin to two of Berlin's originally four public libraries opened in 1850. The foundation of public libraries in Berlin was promoted by Professor Friedrich von Raumer and others.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 5. No ISBN. Returning from his 1841 journey through the United States the professor was deeply impressed by the broad knowledge of average US citizens, whom he had encountered travelling on a Mississippi steam boat. His travel acquaintances ascribed their interest and knowledge to their access to books from public libraries and public lectures on various subjects.Arend Buchholtz, Die Volksbibliotheken und Lesehallen der Stadt Berlin 1850–1900: Festschrift der Stadt Berlin zum 50jährigen Bestehen der Volksbibliotheken, 1. August 1900, Berlin: Holten, 1900, pp. 10 and 19. Raumer then started an initiative to open public libraries in Berlin too.
By the end of 1841 Raumer and other enthusiasts first founded the Verein für wissenschaftliche Vorträge (i.e. Association for scientific public lectures). The Verein, using the Singing Academy concert hall as its venue for lectures, succeeded to collect Thaler 4,000 (then about £ Sterling 592,59Frederic Scherer, Quarter notes and bank notes: The economics of music composition in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004, p. 210. .) forming the starting capital for Berlin's to-be-founded public libraries in 1846. Until the end of the 1870s the Verein raised and provided funds amounting to the sixfolds of this initial sum. The Verein, however, wanted the city of Berlin to give a helping hand and take the libraries under its auspices.
Raumer presented his ideas on public libraries, termed as Volksbibliotheken (people's libraries), in a memorandum in 1846, resonating his democratic opinions. As a result, in 1847 Berlin's magistrate (city government) established a standing committee for the establishment and administration of public libraries, consisting of members of the afore-mentioned Verein and of the City Representatives' Assembly (Stadtverordnetenversammlung; then Berlin's city parliament).Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, pp. 5seq. No ISBN. The Bibliotheks-Kommission (Library Commission) was to appoint the chief librarian, control the library budget and have a say in the book purchases.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 6. No ISBN. In December 1848 King Frederick William IV approved the foundation of public libraries, however, his decision remained unpublished due to the repercussions of the March Revolution of that year. The Prussian government added the clause that all works suited to endanger ethical life, religion or the state were strictly to be withheld from the library, while books apt to strengthen traditions, faith and the king's subjects' fidelity were to be preferentially acquired. Starting in 1849 , the city's archivist, served as responsible city official for the Library Commission, and soon determined its acquisitions of books.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 7. No ISBN.
With effect of 1 August 1850, the first day at school after the summer holidays, four public libraries opened, numbered I to IV. Each was located in a gymnasium (grammar school) or other highschool of the city and run by its respective director or another appointed teacher. In the city centre, at (Friedrichswerder Grammar School) on Werderscher Markt, Volks⸗Bibliothek No. I was located, while Volks⸗Bibliothek No. IV was situated in the Louisenstädtische höhere Stadtschule (Luisenstadt Higher City School) on Sebastianstraße 49, both libraries were then in what is Mitte since 1920. The first four libraries opened three times a week for an hour, all residents of Berlin were entitled to use them free of charge. Library users had to procure a certificate of bailment, by which a city or government official or another known citizen of Berlin committed himself to honour the user's eventual open obligations to the library. The certificates of bailment were to renewed every quarter. The starting stock of books, in all four libraries together, was 7,800 pieces. Many books were donated in kind, popular literature was mostly missing.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, pp. 6seq. No ISBN.
In 1851 the Library No. I with its primarily scientific scope had 149 registered users, whereas Library No. IV counted 281, the other two libraries made up for the remaining 851 registered users. The Library Commission elected Moritz Fürbringer its president in 1863. In the same year the Library No. IV moved into a new location on Ritterstraße 31, only to move again into Berlin's 47th and 7th municipal school (47. und 7. Gemeindeschule) on Stallschreiberstraße 54a in 1877, both in what became Kreuzberg after 1920.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, pp. 7seq. No ISBN. Tradespeople and craftspeople made up for most users, the number of workers among the users rose between 1867 and 1877, but was still below a third in 1877.Frauke Mahrt-Thomsen, 150 Jahre: Von den Berliner Volksbibliotheken zur Stadtbibliothek Kreuzberg; eine Chronik, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kunstamt Kreuzberg and Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Kreuzberg Museum and Verein zur Erforschung und Darstellung der Geschichte Kreuzbergs (eds.), Berlin: Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin / Bibliotheksamt, 2000, p. 8. No ISBN.Arend Buchholtz, Die Volksbibliotheken und Lesehallen der Stadt Berlin 1850–1900: Festschrift der Stadt Berlin zum 50jährigen Bestehen der Volksbibliotheken, 1. August 1900, Berlin: Holten, 1900, p. 40. The number of youth among the users had risen by the time since Berlin's public libraries then had also started to hold media of their interest. In 1878 Fidicin retired.