About us

The collections of the Library of Geisenheim University and the department libraries include more than 171 582 items (as of 2021) of scientific and academic sources, mostly monographs and journals.

Monographs are in the open access area as well as in the closed stacks of the library. All items are sorted by topic using a leading letter (e.g. T stands for Viticulture, U stands for Beverage Technologies) followed by a title related number. Letters and numbers combined are part of the shelving system and can be researched in the online catalog.

Periodicals of the recent year are alphabetically sorted in open access shelves on the upper floor. Bound back copies of periodicals can also be found on the upper floor and in the closed stacks. They are sorted by topic using leading letters (e.g. Ab stands for Viticulture & Enology).

The library collection, as part of the "Handbuch der historischen Buchbestände"., is bringing to the present more than 130 years old written history of Geisenheim Research Center (now called Geisenheim University) with a clear focus on Viticulture & Enology, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

Beside scientific writings the library offers a large variety of academic writings. This includes general textbooks and fundamental books of the Geisenheim branches. Students can benefit from a large variety of writings on how to work scientifically. Further items provided: legal texts, reference books and dictionaries.

There is always a very strong demand for thesis written by the graduates of the University. These thesis, usually with abstracts, are part of the closed stacks. They are managed in two different catalogs and can be viewed and examined in the library if unrestricted access is granted by the author. Thesis cannot be borrowed. Please ask a librarian to get access to unrestricted thesis.

For researching our collection please use the online catalog (OPAC), available on the Internet.

Registered users have online access to a large variety e-journals and research databases.

The Library of Geisenheim University is part of the Inter-library Loan System of german libraries. Registered users have the opportunity to borrow items not in stock in Geisenheim from any participating library in Germany.

External users of other participating libraries are also able to borrow items from our library.

From the very beginning of the 1872 founded "Koenigliche Lehranstalt fuer Obst- und Weinbau", the library has been an inherent part of the Geisenheim University (formerly Geisenheim Research Center), located in the main building, together with various other exhibitions.

By 1882 the library collection included 1,400 items and 20 journals.

In 1918 the library moved to the former student dorm at Brentano street. It was the same building as the fruit processing station and the departments of fertilizing and soil fertility.

By 1930 the collection has extended to 11,000 items.

During World War II the library building and most items in it were heavily damaged. Many precious items were lost ad infinitum. Due to the lack of assets and the high fluctuation of staff the reconstruction went on slowly after war.

In 1969 the library of the Society for the History of Wine was merged with the library of the Geisenheim Research Center. By now just the collection of the Society for the History of Wine includes approximately 2,700 items which can be researched here.

From 1972 on the academic branch of the Research Center has been conveyed to the University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden. Since then the library also provides services to the students of the University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden located at Geisenheim.

In 1990 the library was admitted to the Handbook of historical book stocks.

By the late 1990ies the library was relocated once again. Today it has found its final home in the new build lecture building at Von-Lade-Straße.

On January 01st, 2013 the library collection of the Library of Geisenheim University includes about 120,000 items allocated at the main library and the institute libraries.

Shortly before its 150th anniversary in 2022, the library reached a collection of 171,582 volumes.

Records accumulated in Geisenheim are archived at the Hessisches Landesarchiv in Wiesbaden . The collection can be browsed in Arcinsys.