Guides: Germanic Languages & Literatures: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

German Reference Works in Print: Bibliographies, Handbooks, Dictionaries

Van Pelt Library is home to many classic German-language reference works. Here are a few selected volumes.

Kunisch, Hermann ... [et al.]. Lexikon der deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur seit 1945 / neu herausgegeben von Thomas Kraft. München : Nymphenburger, 2003. Location: Van Pelt Library PT401 .L49 2003

Schmidt, Heiner. ... [et al.] Quellenlexikon zur deutschen Literaturgeschichte = Bibliography of studies on German literary history [...] 1945-1990. Duisburg : Verlag für Pädagogische Dokumentation, 1994. Location: Van Pelt Library PT53 .S35 1994.

Dahlmann-Waitz Quellenkunde der deutschen Geschichte. Stuttgart, A. Hiersemann, 1965. Issued in parts. Location: Van Pelt Library DD89 .D342.

Lexikon der deutschen Geschichte. Stuttgart : Kröner, c1998. Location: Van Pelt Library DD84 .L48 1998.

Stoob, Heinz & Johanek, Peter. Deutsches Städtebuch : Handbuch städtischer Geschichte. Stuttgart : Kohlhammer, 1995. Location: LIBRA DD91 .D48 1995

Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm. München : Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1999. Location: Van Pelt Library PF3625 .G73 1999 (Also online at Wörterbuchnetz)

Subject Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance
Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation
Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Culture
Van Pelt Reference - Stacks. DD256.5 .G76313 1991.

Online Reference Works / Nachschlagewerke

Kritisches Lexikon zur deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur (KLG)
Das Standardwerk zur zeitgenössischen deutschsprachigen Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts. In mehr als 880 Artikeln werden herausragende deutschsprachige Autorinnen und Autoren umfassend gewürdigt: Ausführliche Essays mit Blick auf Werk und Wirkung werden ergänzt durch umfangreiche Werkverzeichnisse und Bibliographien der Sekundärliteratur.

Historical Dictionary of German Literature to 1945
The history of this period in German literature is told through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, a comprehensive bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on poetry, novels, historical narrative, philosophical musings, drama, and the exceptional writers who emerged and shaped German literature over the centuries.
Literature Criticism Online
Literary reference work from Gale combining several literary commentary series, including Contemporary Literary Criticism, Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Shakespearean Criticism, and others.
Deutsche Biographie
The online version of the Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (Aachen to Schwarz) and the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (1875-1912) together providing biographical entries for German-speaking countries. In addition, references to historical and biographical articles and books.
Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopaedie (DBE)
This Dictionary of German Biography (DBE) provides information about people from all aspects of public life: men and women from the German-speaking world from early records to the present. The biographies include origins, education, places of influence, significant works, friendships and relationships, memberships, reception, prizes and honors. Note: DBE contains entries only for figures who are deceased.
Virtuelle Deutsche Landesbibliographie
Subject bibliography for German regions. / Meta-Katalog zum Nachweis landeskundlicher Literatur in Deutschland. Landesbibliographien verzeichnen die Literatur aller Sach- und Wissensgebiete über ein Bundesland, seine Orte und Regionen. Aufsätze und Artikel aus Zeitschriften, Jahrbüchern und sonstigen Sammelwerken machen fast zwei Drittel der Nachweise aus.
Berlin-Bibliographie
Covers a wide range of publications on all aspects of the city of Berlin, 1985-2002.
Zedlersches Lexikon
Historical 18th century encyclopedia. At 68 volumes, one of the largest printed encyclopedias ever, and first to include biographies of living people.

E-Book Companions

Cambridge Histories

Cambridge Histories Online is a collection of reference works, summarizing historical political and cultural history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, music and the arts.

Reference Works: World Wars I & II

Encyclopedia of the Third Reich
Van Pelt Reference - Stacks. DD256.5 .G76313 1991.
Encyclopedia of German resistance to the Nazi movement
Van Pelt Reference - Stacks. DD256.3 .L49613 1997.
Cambridge History of the First World War
(online)
Cambridge History of the Second World War
(online)

Other Specialized Works

The Nibelungen Tradition: An Encyclopedia
(online)
Das Märchenlexikon
Van Pelt Reference - Stacks. GR550 .S337 1995.