EINKAUFF - THE LIBRARY OF THE FOURTH SENIOR TEACHER
In 1886 the grammar school teacher Dr. Franz Weinkauff transferred "entbehrlich gewordene größere Büchermengen" (dispensable large quantities of books) of about 1260 works to the Cologne City Library. Weinkauff divided up the books which were indispensable to him and bequeathed them to the grammar schools in Kreuznach and Bonn as well as to the University of Bonn. The books donated to the city of Cologne still stand in part under their original constellation name "Weinkauff". All other volumes were included in the subject systematic list of the UCL. A search in the online catalogue for the shelfmark "WEIN" yields 565 hits. The Weinkauff library contains mainly philological works, including a number of valuable old prints. The library can be consulted for research purposes in the Historical Collections Reading Room of the UCL.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON FRANZ WEINKAUFF
Franz Weinkauff was born on 24 May 1823. He comes from an well-established Kreuznach family. His father was a brewery and distillery owner. After attending the Gymnasium in his hometown, Weinkauff studied theology at the University of Bonn. Later he continued his studies in philology (Greek and Latin) and history in Heidelberg and Jena. The intensity of the student's involvement in the 1848 revolution is unknown. In 1853 Weinkauff received his doctorate in Jena. At any rate, his participation in the revolutionary events later made it difficult for him to enter the state school service. After a job as a private teacher he went to the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium in Cologne in 1855/56 as a "school office candidate". In 1860 he was promoted to a full apprenticeship position. Until 1868 he reached the position of the fourth senior teacher ( there were six senior teachers in total). Due to illness he retired early in 1871. After leaving school, Weinkauff worked as a wealthy private scholar. Throughout his life he supported his school libraries in Kreuznach and Cologne. Unfortunately there was no volume in the old teacher's library of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium with unquestionable wine buying provenance. On 11 March Franz Weinkauff died in Cologne's Bürgerhospital. He was buried at the cemetery in Kreuznach.
CHOSEN LITERATURE
- Quarg, Gunter: Ferdinand Franz Wallraf (1748-1824), in: Kölner Sammler und ihre Bücherkollektionen in der Universitäts- und Stadtbibliothek; Mathern, Willy: Männer des Hunsrück- und Nahelandes. Trier, 1952. Signature: RHG4028