The Breslau Writings constitute a unique collection of books of extraordinary historical, cultural, and scholarly value.
Once housed in the Jewish Theological Rabbinical Seminary in Breslau—one of the most important Jewish educational institutions in Europe, founded in 1854—the library grew to encompass around 40,000 volumes by 1937.
These works spanned Torah and Talmudic literature, classical philosophy, philology, astronomy, mathematics, and even Christian texts, reflecting both the richness of Jewish tradition and the integration of German-Jewish intellectual life into broader European culture.
In 1938, the seminary was shut down, plundered, and ultimately destroyed by the Nazis. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Allied forces sought to recover and preserve what remained of looted Jewish cultural property. Among these efforts was the work of the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction (JCR), directed by Hannah Arendt, which facilitated the redistribution of heirless Jewish property—including the Breslau Writings—to institutions capable of safeguarding them.
Seventy-five years ago, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) received a portion of these rescued writings. Today, these documents are housed in the library of the Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich (ICZ), itself classified as an object of national importance (Class A) in the Federal Inventory of Cultural Property Protection. The Breslau Writings are therefore not only witnesses to a vibrant intellectual tradition but also tangible survivors of an attempted cultural erasure.
Recognising the enduring importance of this heritage, the SIG and ICZ have long committed to its preservation. On June 16, 2022, in a letter to the Department of Justice and Home Affairs (JI) of the Canton of Zurich, both institutions reaffirmed their dedication to ensuring the long-term conservation and public accessibility of the collection. This led to the creation of the interest group Swiss Breslau Holdings on September 1, 2022.
A comprehensive preliminary report—commissioned to assess the legal, historical, and political context of the writings—recommended transferring ownership of the collection to a dedicated foundation. This foundation would be tasked with the restoration, digitisation, and dissemination of the writings, while ensuring that they remain physically within the ICZ library.
In February 2025, acting on behalf of Swiss Breslau Holdings, the SIG and ICZ informed the JI of their intention to create such a foundation. This move affirms the SIG’s ongoing responsibility for the Breslau documents and its commitment to making them accessible to scholars and the wider public.
However, the financial and logistical burden of this initiative exceeds the capacity of the Jewish community alone. On June 18, 2025, the Government Council of the Canton of Zurich mandated the JI to provide oversight and financial support for the project. The City of Zurich has also expressed its backing.
The foundation will not only ensure the restoration of individual rare volumes but will also elevate awareness of the collection’s broader historical significance. The Breslau Writings represent both the cultural devastation inflicted during the Holocaust and the post-war efforts to rebuild and preserve Jewish life in Europe. Their survival is a powerful symbol of resilience.
Through the joint efforts of the SIG, ICZ, public authorities, and future partners, this initiative seeks to honour the legacy of the Breslau Seminary and ensure that its intellectual and cultural contributions are not forgotten, but rather restored, studied, and shared with future generations.
