Special Collections & Exhibitions

Under the term “Special Collections” (SC), the Institute refers to cross-departmental closed collections that reflect a thematically precisely defined subject area. Perhaps the oldest, avant-la-lettre SC is the Collezione Romana (collection of historical Rome guidebooks), which dates back to the founding of the institute. Presenting collections as SC serves the goal of improving the public communication of the holdings and creating incentives for their scholarly exploration. The tangible evidence of the materiality of the collection, its digitization, and the development of digital research tools are modeled together (see Digital Library). A prime example is the acquisition of the Archivio Echaurren as a purely digital SC. Further SCs are actively being developed, with a focus on “Mediterranea” (travel literature of the Mediterranean region) and “Melancholia” (natural disasters).

As a new format, scientifically curated online exhibitions focusing on special holdings from the Rara department have been introduced. 

Since 2022, three exhibitions have been conceived and carried out in collaboration with the Michalsky Department, the Weddigen Department, and the Research Group Fransen.