College and Research Libraries


By R O B E R T H A N S M U L L E R 

New German Library Service 
During the W a r 

AF T E R enemy troops had surrendered, allied intelligence teams proceeded to 
investigate important industrial and sci-
entific "targets" in occupied areas. These-
teams, composed of scientific specialists and 
technicians, were assigned the mission of 
reporting on latest research developments. 
In some instances it was discovered that 
processes and methods adopted by the enemy, 
especially Germany, represented improve-
ments over those known in the United 
States, Great Britain, or other allied na-
tions. T h e present article is concerned 
with a noteworthy development in German 
library services, as revealed in documents 
gathered by the "Alsos" Mission, Military 
Intelligence Service of the W a r Depart-
ment ( R . F . R . File 2 2 8 ) , now deposited 
in the Library of Congress.1 

Nazi Germany's central research agency 
was the Reichsforschungsrat ( R . F . R . ) , es-
tablished by Goring in 1942 as successor to 
the Forschungsgemeinschaft (1937-41) and 
the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wis-
senschaft (prior to 1937). In direct charge 
of the R . F . R . was a prominent S.S. man, 
Prof. Mentzel, who reported to Goring 
through D r . Gornnert. 

Early in 1943 Mentzel asked Albert 
Predeek, librarian of the Berlin Institute 
of Technology (Technische Hochschule), 
to draw up a plan for the establishment of 
a central research card index. In compliance, 
Predeek submitted a detailed outline on 

1 A v a i l a b l e on microfilm t h r o u g h the Office of the 
Publication B o a r d , U . S . Department of Commerce, 
Washington 25, D . C . O r d e r No. P B 12751. 

Feb. 18, 1943, envisaging a staff of twenty-
one scientific analysts, fourteen librarians, 
and nineteen clerical assistants, and pro-
posed an annual budget of 476,000 Reichs-
marks (about $190,000 at prewar exchange 
rates), of which 68 per cent was allotted 
to salaries, 7 per cent to supplies, equip-
ment, and photoduplication, and 25 per 
cent to printing. 

Predeek pointed out that Germany pos-
sessed no central agency capable of giving 
up-to-date information on current scientific 
and technical research activities: W h o was 
engaged in what projects? W h e r e ? 
Under what sponsorship? W h a t were the 
results? T o answer such questions it 
would be necessary ( 1 ) to maintain a card 
index of all scientists, ( 2 ) to publish ab-
stracts of results of research, ( 3 ) to collect 
and make available all scientific and techni-
cal publications, and ( 4 ) to provide refer-
ence service and photoduplication. 

M o r e specifically: 
1. The card index was to cover approxi-

mately 6500 scientists, giving for each his 
address, biographical data, research projects, 
and publications. The subject index was ex-
pected to carry at least 100,000 headings. 

2. The abstracting journal would present 
about 3000 abstracts a month, with annual 
subject and author indexes. Fields already 
adequately abstracted in other media would be 
excluded. 

3. Acquisition of literature was to include 
journals, research reports, dissertations, trade 
publications, and bibliographies. The number 
of subscriptions was expected to be 3300. 

4. Reference service was to be provided for 
a fee. Translation services would also be 

224 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



available. Photostats and microfilms would 
be offered at cost. 

Predeek suggested that the new service 
should be located in the library building of 
the Technische Hochschule, Berlin, and 
that the work should be conducted in close 
cooperation with the library staff in order 
to utilize the experiences gained by that 
staff in a similar enterprise in the field of 
technology. 

Albert Predeek 

O n M a r . 24, 1943, sixty-year-old Pre-
deek was appointed chief of the agency for 
which he had drawn the blueprints. Offi-
cially designated as Kartei und Informa-
tionsstelle, it was to provide research 
reference service in the fields of technology, 
science, medicine, agriculture, and forestry. 
Predeek's position as chief was merely a 
part-time assignment without remuneration 
(except for a small expense account of 100 
Reichsmark a m o n t h ) . His appointment 
was strongly endorsed by Mentzel. Pre-
deek, said Mentzel in a letter to Gornnert, 
was a veteran of W o r l d W a r I, a reserve 
captain, a recipient of the Iron Cross, and 
an eminent librarian. H e had visited the 
United States in 1937 for the purpose of 
studying libraries and bibliographic meth-
ods. Mentzel had known him for many 
years and was prepared to vouch for the 
integrity of his character and his enthusiasm 
for library service. Nothing was mentioned 
about Predeek's attitude toward the Nazi 
Party. H a d he been an enthusiastic party 
member, it would most certainly have been 
emphasized in the letter recommending his 
appointment; yet it cannot be denied that 
Predeek was quite eager to contribute his 
skills and services to the Nazi war effort. 

T h e first step in establishing the card 
index of research projects consisted of mail-
ing questionnaires to the personnel of all 
private and tax-supported research institu-

tions. Objections to disclosure of military 
or trade secrets were overruled, although 
it was agreed to use such data only for 
official purposes. Returns, supplemented 
by bibliographic information, were arranged 
in an official catalog to which the public 
was not allowed access. T h e catalog to 
which the public did have access consisted 
of three parts: ( 1 ) a catalog of scientific 
personnel, ( 2 ) a catalog of research in-
stitutes, and ( 3 ) a detailed subject index 
to the other two catalogs and to scientific 
and technical research reports. 

Just about the time that the information 
service was beginning to function a serious 
interruption occurred: T h e library of the 
Technische Hochschule was destroyed by 
allied air attacks on Nov. 22, 1943. I n 

December the offices were moved to Rossla, 
a village in the H a r z Mountain area. By 
the end of J u n e 1944, the agency had been 
restored to fair working condition. N e w 
excitement was caused on July 16 when 
Predeek received a telegram ordering him 
to move his entire establishment out of 
Rossla within two weeks. Military neces-
sity of an unspecified nature was given as 
the reason. Predeek's protest resulted in 
a postponement of the evacuation date and 
finally a revocation of the initial order. O n 
Aug. 19, 1944, Predeek informed Mentzel 
that the Kartei was ready for use once 
again. 

Operation 

In December 1944 Predeek issued a 
circular announcing to German science and 
industry the services which the Kartei was 
now ready to provide. Information about 
research projects of 25,000 scientists and 
the work of 3,000 research institutes and 
laboratories was available through a detailed 
subject index arranged under 45,000 head-
ings. 

(Continued on page 236) 

J U L Y t 1946 
20 7 



of cataloging of microfilm and related ma-
terials, two things should be kept in m i n d : 
First, it must be decided what type of serv-
ice catalogs are to render and what type of 
patron is to be served principally. Prob-
ably, we shall incline more and more to the 
subject approach—at least, in current large-
scale cooperative cataloging projects more 
attention is being paid to this kind of detail 
than was before felt necessary. F o r the full 
coverage of a book from the subject point 
of view, we may have to wait, however, for 
some device such as Vannevar Bush's filmed 
catalog cards, with code indicators in dot 
form, to be scanned at tremendous speeds 
by photoelectric eyes and rephotographed 
on the fly by high-speed cameras to form 
films of selected cards for the formation of 
bibliographies. 

T h e second thing that should be remem-
bered is this: T h e only device yet evolved 
to avoid duplication of work and multiplica-
tion of the costs of cataloging is centralized 
and cooperative cataloging. Once standard-
ization of approach is achieved, this shall 
follow. In the meantime, so long as there 
remains this chaos of varying sizes of film, 
types of projector equipment, methods of 
housing and storing materials, there will 
exist the problem of hand-typed, custom-
made cards, tied to the present card catalog-
ing system. I t is only when microphotogra-
phy can break away from the present routines 
that the fullest measure of independent and 
efficient service can be rendered, as inde-
pendent as the government document collec-
tions but much more versatile, supplementing 
and, in part, even supplanting them. 

N e w German Library ̂ Service 
(Continued from page 225) 

T h e principal questions Predeek's card 
catalog was prepared to answer w e r e : ( 1 ) 
W h o was doing research in what field? 
( 2 ) W h a t had been the results of previous 
research? Information would be furnished 
free of charge. T h e fields covered were 
general science, engineering, medicine, agri-
culture, and forestry. In fields adequately 
covered elsewhere, notably chemistry and 
mining, the card index was to supply only 
supplementary data. Extension of coverage 
to the social sciences and humanities was 
contemplated. 

H o w effective the Kartei was in aiding 
the Nazi war effort could not be ascertained 
from the sources at hand. H a d such a 
research information service been available 
earlier in the war, it would undoubtedly 
have helped to expedite emergency research 

in Germany. I t was an attempt to avoid 
duplication of effort and to coordinate sci-
entific research activities on a national scale, 
but it came too late in the game to be of 
much value. 

Several facts seem significant concerning 
this German venture in research library 
service: ( 1 ) at a time of critical shortage 
of personnel and materials, library tech-
niques received recognition as indispensable 
tools in an important governmental enter-
prise; ( 2 ) professionally trained library 
personnel was recruited for key positions 
within the framework of science and tech-
nology; ( 3 ) bibliographic investigation 
was deemed so essential a phase of scientific 
research that a special administrative unit 
was established and substantial funds appro-
priated for accomplishing the work. 

236 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES