Stiftung Eutiner Landesbibliothek

The Stiftung Eutiner Landesbibliothek is a non-profit municipal foundation under civil law and has been the sponsor of the Eutin State Library since 2007. The library holds approximately 80,000 volumes, including around 50,000 works and 500 periodicals from the 16th to the 19th century. Collection focuses include historical travel literature (approx. 20,000 items), regional cultural area research, historical cartography, and an autograph collection with around 4,500 entries. The library hosts the only research center for Historical Travel Culture in Germany, which is internationally recognized. The foundation promotes science and research, education, art, and culture, and ensures the operation of the library primarily through funds from the Sparkassen-Stiftung Eutiner Landesbibliothek, the Ostholstein district, the state of Schleswig-Holstein, as well as private donations.

The Stiftung Eutiner Landesbibliothek is committed to the preservation and further development of one of the most significant historical research libraries in Schleswig-Holstein. It promotes the scholarly use of its historical collections and particularly supports early-career researchers through research fellowships in the fields of historical travel research, historical cartography, and regional cultural space studies. The goal is to raise national and international awareness of the collections and to strengthen interdisciplinary exchange.

The funding opportunities of the Foundation are primarily aimed at early-career researchers – doctoral and postdoctoral candidates – with research projects focusing on the collection and research priorities of the Eutin Regional Library. In particular, projects in historical travel research (including cartography) and regional cultural area studies (cultural and literary history of Eutin and the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck) are supported. Furthermore, scholars, students, and culturally interested members of the public benefit from the library’s holdings and events.