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Biographical sources
Search the Yale database list for German biographical databases
Internet resources:
Biography
and Genealogy Master Index
Biography
Index
Contemporary
Authors
Dictionary
of Literary Biography
Database
of Women Writers in Germany since 1945 - Publicly accessible index of over
15,000 authors from Uni. Bremen.
Lexikon
des Mittelalters
Projekt Gutenberg-DE - Brief biographical sketches of over 400 German language authors, in German.
World Biographical Index (Internationaler biographischer Index) - Compilation of nine of the national biographical archive indexes in K.G. Saur's
biographical series, including the German Biographical
Archive, above. Check also Orbis for the archives themselves, which are
in microform.
Print resources:
Search
Orbis by LC Subject Headings such as:
Allgemeine deutsche Biographie.
56 vol. Neudruck der 1. Aufl. von 1875-1912.
Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, 1967-71.
Ref. CT1053 A44 1967 (LC)
The outstanding German biographical dictionary,
containing long, signed articles, with bibliographies, on persons from early
times to the end of the 19th century. As there are supplementary sections in
many volumes, the index is essential for finding the complete record. The Neue
Deutsche Biographie, above, also partially supplements this work.
Autorenlexikon der Gegenwart.
Kutzbach, Karl August. Bonn: Bouvier, 1950- (in progress).
Ref. Z 2230K87(LC)
The first volume is devoted to contemporary German language writers of belles-
lettres. It gives bio-bibliographical sketches of about 1,000 writers. Indexes
are by form of writing, region from which the writers come, religious or philosophical
outlook, etc. Information is given for 1945-49 on literary societies and their
publication.
Deutsche Dichter und Schrifsteller unserer
Zeit.
Lennartz, Franz. 11th ed. Stuttgart: Kröner,
1978.
Ref .PT155 L4 5 1978(LC)
A biographical handbook of poets and creative
writers comprising 330 entries. Intended as a guide t o contemporary figures
in literature, newspapers, radio, television, and theater, its coverage is mostly
restricted to authors living at the time of publication. Entries average two
to three pages in length and are followed by bibliographies of abou t half a
page. Works noted include those written for stage, radio, television and film,
as well as sound recordings. Literary prizes and other honors are also noted.
Deutsches biographisches Archiv.
München; New York: K.G. Saur, 1982.1760 microfiches.
Fiche B1117 in Sterling Main Reference Room.
Indexed in World
Biographical Index, as well as in a printed guide: Deutscher biographischer
Index.
Ref CT1053 +D48 (LC)
The German biographical archive was designed to make available the information
contained in 264 of the most important German biographical reference works published
between 1700 and 1910. The 480,000 entries are reproduced in a single alphabetical
sequence. They are arranged for each individual by date of the source work.On
the first several fiche is a list of the biographical sources used to compile
the collection.
European Writers.
Jackson, William T.H., editor, George Stade, editor in chief. New York : Scribner,
1983-1991.
Ref. PN 501 +E9 1983
This series is a collection of fairly extensive essays, with bibliographies,
about major European authors from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century.
Die grossen Deutschen.
5 vol. Berlin: Propyläen-Verlag bei
Ullstein, 1957-58.
Ref. CT1054 G76 (LC)
A biographical dictionary containing 234
long, signed articles arranged chronologically f rom 672 A.D. onward. The biographees
are outstanding cultural, religious, and military figures of German history.
Volume 5 has an index to all volumes.
Guide to the Sources of Medieval History
Caenegem, R. C. van. Amsterdam ; New York
: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1978.
Ref D77 C2213
A sourcebook with a long list of biographical
sources classified by country. A newer edition (1997) in French is available
at the Divinity Library, D117 C2214 (LC).
Kritisches Lexikon zur deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur - KLG
Heinz Ludwig Arnold (Hg.), München : Edition Text + Kritik, 1978-
Ref. PT155 K75
Covers over 560 authors (for a description in German and list of authors included,
click here).
Looseleaf format that is updated continually.
Kürschner's
Deutscher Gelehrten-Kalender, 1925-
Deutscher Literatur-Kalender, 1928-
Deutscher Literatur-Kalender, 1883-1902
Allgemeiner deutscher Literaturkalender,
1879-82
Berlin: de Gruyter, 1879.
Irregular, 1928- Annual*, 1879-1926
* Publication suspended 1918-1921; resumed
in 1922 with irregularly appearing volumes numbered consecutively (so that 1917,
1922 and 1924 form the 39, 40 and 41 Jahrg. respectively).
Ref. Z2230 K85 (LC) (latest)
A very thorough who's who of German authors,
arranged geographically by birthplace. In addition to name, place and date of
birth, address, place of employment , university degrees and field of literary
work, entries include membership in literary clubs or academies, prizes won,
and pseudonyms used. Works listed include independent publications, anthologies
and collected works, edited and co-edited works, film scripts, radio and television
scripts, recordings, translations of the author's own works, translations by
the author of the works of others, and critical or secondary literature. There
is an obituary listing, a birthday listing, and a sectio n on translators of
literary works, as well as lists of publishers of belles lettres, authors' unions,
literary clubs and academies, literary prizes, and German language newspapers.
Lexikon deutschsprachiger Schriftsteller
von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart.
Albrecht, Günter. 2 vol. Kronberg: Scriptor,
1974.
Ref. PT41A42 1974 (LC)
A biographical dictionary of German literature
with East German emphasis and including writers from other German-speaking countries.
Contains entries for living authors as well as those from mediaeval times who
wrote in Latin. Average length of entry is one page, but important writers like
Brecht are allotted many more. The dictionary has about 1400 entries, each of
which aims to give some indication of trends in writers' works and to describe
some of their major works. Items not discussed are appended to each article
in a bibliography.
Lexikon
des Mittelalters
Lutz, Liselotte, et al., ed. München
; Zürich : Artemis-Verlag, 1977- .
Ref D101.5+L48
This biographical dictionary of the Middle
Ages contains good entries and bibliographies. Unfortunately, at present it
is cut short at the entry Tuerst.
Metzler Autoren Lexikon : deutschsprachige Dichter und Schriftsteller vom
Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.
Bernd Lutz, ed. 2nd revised and expanded edition. Stuttgart : Metzler, 1994.
Ref. Z2230 M48 1994 (LC)
An indexed biographical dictionary with bibliographical references.
Neue deutsche Biographie.
Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen
Akademie der Wissenschaften.18 vols. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 1953-90
(?).
Ref. DD85 N48 (LC)
Complements the Allgemeine deutsche Biographie (below).
Many of the same names appear in both. Added are persons who have died since
the earlier work was published, and some who were excluded from it. Articles
are signed, and there are bibliographies at the end of each. The index to each
volume includes references to entries in the Allgemeine deutsche
Biographie.
Schriftsteller aus der DDR : Ausbürgerungen
und Ubersiedlungen von 1961 bis 1989.
Jäger, Andrea. Frankfurt am Main
; New York : P. Lang, c1995.
SML, Stacks, LC Classification PT3713 J34 1995
Schriftsteller der DDR.
Leipzig: VEB Bibliographisches Institut,
1974.
Ref. PT3713S347(LC)
Includes a wide variety of writers: journalists,
critics, technical writers as well as authors of fiction. The short biographies
also give a list of the writer's publication.
Schriftsteller der Deutschen Demokratischen
Republik.
German (Democratic Republic) Zentralinstitut
für Bibliothekswesen. Leipzig: VEB Verlag für Buch- und Bibliothekswesen,
1961.
Ref. Z2230 A52 1961 (LC)
Supplies biographical and bibliographical
information on writers of East Germany who were liv ing in 1960, or had very
recently died. Entries are set out clearly but briefly, giving details of the
curriculum vitae followed by a full list of works divided according to genre.
Lexikon der deutschen Dichter und Prosaisten vom Begin
des 19. Jahrhunderts bis zur Gegenwart.
Brümmer, Franz. 8 vol. 6th edition. Leipzig: Reclam, 1913.
SML Stacks Hk927 (Yale)
A very useful handbook giving brief biographical sketches of some 9,990 German,
Austrian, and Swiss authors of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
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