THE POPPELAUER CATALOGUES OF HEBRAICA AND JUDAICA DAVID GOLDSTEIN THE Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books has been fortunate enough to acquire a unique and almost complete set of the Catalogues of Hebraica and Judaica issued by M. Poppelauer of Berlin between 1887 and 1929. Twenty-seven catalogues were issued, and the only (but important) one missing from the set is no. 20 which was devoted to incunabula. The uniqueness of the acquisition lies in the fact that many of the catalogues are interleaved and the names of the buyers have been inserted in manuscript. In addition, some volumes have leaves bound in, giving in manuscript the complete financial accounts ofthe transactions involved. The shelf-mark is 01927.aa.53. The set gives a picture of an important Jewish bookseller and his international clientele over a period of more than fifty years, since the last transaction recorded is dated 19 December 1938. Moritz Poppelauer, the founder of the firm, was born in Kalisz in Poland in 1824. He was nineteen years old when he went to Berlin and he lived later in Leipzig and Frankfurt. He established a publishing house in Berlin in i860 and many of the most outstanding works of German-Jewish scholarship of the nineteenth century bear his imprint. He died in Karlsbad in 1880 and the firm was subsequently carried on by his son-in-law J. Sanger. A work by Poppelauer himself was published posthumously (by his own firm) in 1900. It was written in Hebrew in his youth in 1843, and its German title-page reads Die judische Tradition. Reihenfolge der judischen Lehrer und Weisen vom Urbegmn der judischen Lehre bis 1650. Simon Bernfeld wrote two separate introductions, one in Hebrew and the other in German, giving information about Poppelauer's life and work. A description of the catalogues follows: 1. Hebraica und Judaica, 1887 'Incunabeln' p. 66 'Predigten' p. 67 PP- 35» 29. 883 lots Hebraica; 573 lots 'Bilder und Portraits' p. 78 Judaica. 'Nachtrag' p. 80 2. Hebraica und Judaica, 1895 j^^g lots. Ofthe ten 'incunables', four are pp. 86. dated before 1501. Interleaved. Among the 'Hebraica und Judaica' p. i buyers were: Bernard Lazare, Paris; L. 182 Grossman, Detroit; A. Marx, Konigsberg; 'Grammatik, Lexicographie' p. 30 the Bodleian Library, Oxford. 'Jtidisch-deutsch' p. 45 'Kabbala' p. 4^ 3. Hebraica, 1896 'Palastina' P- 60 pp. 64. 2025 lots. Interleaved. Among the 'Predigten' P- 63 buyers were: H. Brody, Berlin; A. Marx; 'Samaritaner' p. li E. N. Adler, London; D. Simonsen, 'Talmud' p. 78 Copenhagen; D. Chwolson, St. Petersburg; 'Zeitschriften' p. 87 Baron von Rosenthal, Amsterdam. 'Gesange' p. 91 'Nachtrag' p. 95 4. Predigten und Vortrdge, 1896 2054 lots. Interleaved. Among the buyers pp. 16. 405 lots, Judaica only. Interleaved. were: E. N. Adler; L. Grossmann; A. 5. Judaica und Hebraica, 1897 Cowley, Oxford; M. Gaster, London; D. S. Margoliouth, Oxford; Jos. Chazanowicz. pp. 148. 'Hebraica und Judaica' p. i 9. Hebraica, 1901 'Theologie, Orientalia' p. 127 pp. 95. 2623 lots, including forty-two 'Nachtrag' P- 131 manuscripts. With an alphabetical list of 'Portraits und Bilder' p. 139 portraits at the end. Interleaved. Among 'Register der hebraischen Titel' p. 142 the buyers were: E. N. Adler; E. Deinard; 3295 lots plus 155 portraits. Interleaved. M. Gaster; the Bodleian Library; S. Among the buyers were: G. von Rosenthal, Ratnauer, Warsaw. Amsterdam; H. Maker, Cincinnati; H. 10. Bibliotheca Judaica et Hebraica, 1903 Brody; A. Marx; B. Lazare; A. Epstein, Vienna; A. S. Freidus, New York; D. W. pp. 300. 6668 lots. Interleaved. Among the Amram, Philadelphia; M. Marx, Darm- buyers were: M. Marx, Berlin; D. Simon- stadt; Paul V. Kokowzoff, St. Petersburg. sen; E. Deinard; Blackwells, Oxford; Bloch, New York; Hebrew Union College, 6. Hebraica, 1899 Cincinnati. pp. 64. 1591 lots, including thirty-nine 11. Bibliotheca Judaica et Hebraica, 1904 manuscripts, and some incunables. Inter- leaved. Among the buyers were A. Berliner, PP- 93- Berlin; D. Simonsen; E. N. Adler; the 'Judaica und Hebraica' p. i Bodleian Library; Ephraim Deinard, New 'Karaer' p. 87 York; A. L. Germansky, New York; Jos. 'Handschriften' p. 91 Chazanowicz, Bialystok. 'Nachtrag' p. 92 1637 lots, including eighteen manuscripts. 7. Predigten und Vortrdge, 1899 Interleaved. Among the buyers were: pp. II. 243 lots, Judaica only. Interleaved. Blackwells; E. N. Adler; S. Ratnauer. 8. Judaica und Hebraica, 1900 12. Predigten und Vortrdge, 1904 pp. 97. pp. 16. 500 lots, Judaica only. Interleaved. 'Hebraica und Judaica' p. i 13. Bibliotheca Hebraica, 1906 'Bibel' p. 5 'Bibliographie' p. 7 pp. 121. 'Geschichte der Juden' p. 20 'Hebraica' p. i 183 'Karaitica' p. iii 18. Bibliotheca Judaica et Hebraica, 1908 'Hebraica (Nachtrag)' p. 114 pp. 82. 3291 lots. Interleaved. Among the buyers 'Judaica und Hebraica' p. i were: E. N. Adler; M. Marx; L. Ginzberg, 'Judaica und Hebraica, Nachtrag' p. 69 New York; G. Scholem, Berlin. With a list 'Portraits' p. 75 of transactions dated 13 September 1905- 'Biblische Bilder' p. 78 14 September 1918. 1288 lots, including seven manuscripts, plus ioi portraits. Interleaved. Among the 14. Bibliotheca Judaica et Hebraica, 1906 buyers were: L. Ginzberg; A. Marx; M. pp. 106. Marx; L. Grossman; A. Harkavy; D. 'Judaica und Hebraica' p. i Simonsen; S. Schocken; Jewish Theologi- 'Nachtrag' p. 99 cal Seminary, New York; Hebrew Union 'Portraits' p. 106 College. 1878 lots plus twenty-eight portraits. Inter- 19. Bibliotheca Judaica et Hebraica, 1910 leaved. Among the buyers were: D. Simon- sen; L. Grossman; M. Marx; G. Scholem. PP- 59- With a list of transactions dated 23 Novem- 'Judaica und Hebraica' p. i ber 1906-28 April 1918. 'Judaica und Hebraica, Nachtrag' p. 55 'Bilder und Portraits' p. 56 15. Bibliotheca Hebraica, 1907 1000 lots. Interleaved. Among the buyers Enthdlt u.a. die Bibliothek des verstorb. Rev. were: B. Quaritch, London; A. Marx, New Joseph Kohn-Zodek tn London. York; M. Marx, Berlin; L. Grossman; A. pp. 183. 3830 lots. Interleaved. Among the Berliner. With a list of transactions dated buyers were: S. Schocken, Zwickau; G. 26 May 1910-28 May 1918. Scholem; E. Ben Yehuda, Jerusalem; L. Ginzberg. With a list of transactions dated [20. Hebr. Incunabeln, seltene Drucke und wert- II February 1907-20 September 1916. volle Werke (c. 100 nos.)] Joseph Kohn-Zedek (1827-1903) was born Information from advertisement in Cata- in Lvov, Poland. He was primarily a pub- logue no. 22. licist, editing several Hebrew periodicals in Eastern Europe. He came to London in 21. Belletristik und Geschenkwerke, 1910 1875, where he continued to write, both in pp. [14]. [448] lots, Judaica only. Hebrew and English. 22. Bibliotheca Hebraica, 1912 16. Predigten und Vortrdge, 1907 pp. 68. 1450 lots, including seventeen pp. 16. Lots 573, Judaica only. Interleaved. manuscripts. Interleaved. Among the With a list of transactions dated 25 June buyers were: S. Rehfisch, London; F. M. 1907-5 June 1913. Salkind, London; J. Chazanowicz; G. Scholem; E. Ben Yehuda; S. J. Agnon, 17. Belletristik und Geschenkwerke, 1908 Berlin; Martin Buber, Berlin; L. Gross- Geschenke fiir Prdmien, Bar-Mitzwah, Con- man; M. Marx. With a list of transactions firmation und Hochzeiten. dated 15 September 1911-6 November PP- [14]- [371] *ots, Judaica only. 1934- 184 23- Belletristik und Geschenkwerke, 1911 'Gebetbucher nos. 407-25 PP- [17]- [485] lots, Judaica only. 'Geschichte und Emancipation' „ 458-619 24. Belletristik und Geschenkwerke, 1912 'Grammatik, Concor- pp. [18]. [519] lots, Judaica only. danzen, Lexico- graphie' „ 641-95 25. Bibliotheca Hebraica, 1914 'Jiidisch-deutsch' „ 845-62 pp. 35. 680 lots. Interleaved. Among the 'Kabbala' „ 868-79 buyers were: M. Marx; S. Ratnauer. With 'Karaer' . 887-99 a list of transactions dated 2 June 1915- 'Medizin, Hygiene, 4 June 1918. Opposite the advertisement Naturwissenschaft in for a limited edition (75 copies) of the Bibel und Talmud' „ 1062-1195 facsimile of Der Traktat Neziqin (Hebrew 'Padagogik' M 1316-37 MS. no. 19 in the Hamburg Stadtbiblio- 'Palastina' n 1338-66 thek) is a manuscript list of buyers with a 'Recht nach Bibel und note of the relevant numbered copy and Talmud' „ 1415-49 the price paid. 'Talmud' ,, I57O-1629 26. Predigten und Vortrdge, 1914 'Zeitschriften' 1717-59 'Bilder und Portraits' „ I76O-1816 pp. 16. 450 lots. Judaica only. Interleaved. 1816 lots. Interleaved. Among the buyers 27. Bibliotheca Judaica et Hebraica, 1929 were: Columbia University Library, New pp. 105. York; S. Grayzel, Philadelphia; University 'Babel-Bibel' nos. 37-62 of Illinois Library; Jewish Theological 'Bibel' „ 122-209 Seminary, New York; Martin Buber; 'Chronologie' „ 247-79 Claude Montefiore, London. With a list 'Dramen, Dichtungen of transactions dated 10 May 1929- und Uebersetzungen' ,, 313 19 December 1938. In the descriptions above I have mentioned from among hundreds listed those buyers who deserve notice, either because of the large number of items put down to them, or because of their place in the world of Jewish bibliography and scholarship. Some fulfil both criteria. Among the latter pride of place must go to the brothers Alexander and Moses Marx, the greatest modern bibliographers in the field of Hebrew. They were both of German origin. Moses worked at the Library of Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati from 1926 to 1963. His name figures countless times in these lists. An example of his voracity for bibliographical items may be seen in Catalogue no. 25, where ofthe eighty-five Hebrew book catalogues offered for sale no fewer than fifty-four were bought by Marx. His older brother Alexander occupied a similar position at the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, where he was active from 1903. Two great collectors who appear regularly here are Elkan Nathan Adler and David Jacob Simonsen. Adler (1861-1946) was the son of the British Chief Rabbi, Nathan Marcus Adler.