Housed in an 15th-century castle in Munich, Germany, the Internationale Jugendbibliothek is more than a library: it is a festival of the written word, offering a full calendar of events and a lively array of exhibitions, workshops and concerts.
Begun in 1949 and recently refurbished, it is the largest library of children’s literature in the world. Home to 27,000 books in more than 24 languages, they can be borrowed free of charge. Stock is constantly updated and new and award-winning books can always be found.
Created shortly after the end of the Second World War, the library recognizes children’s and youth literature as essential to the cultural life of a society. Its founder, Jella Lepman, a children’s author and journalist who was exiled to the UK during the Second World War, made it her mission on her return to Germany to help children traumatized by the war. Her way of helping them was to promote cultural literacy among children and young people.
As well as lending books, this institution offers a wide range of cultural activities including readings, round tables and conferences, as well as an international literature festival. Recent offerings for families include a display of animal fable illustrations from Tanzania, a concert for children by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra based on a popular children’s book, and a reading by German-Nigerian author Efua Traoré. Educational projects allow teenagers to delve into important topics: a week-long exploration of the effects of book burning culminates in a theatre performance.
Seventy-five years after it was founded, the Internationale Jugendbibliothek can pride itself on being both a local centre for children’s education and leisure activities and an unrivalled international resource for children’s literature.
