“From the very beginning, our studies were an act of rebellion” – Peter Weiss as a Reader
4 Dec 2026, 4 pm

Peter Weiss’s thought patterns in the development of his literary work are evident in his working library. It is not only the thematic focus of the collection that points to the creative processes behind his work; numerous traces of reading also bear witness to his intensive engagement with the material. A prime example is the extensive literature on the Holocaust contained in the collection, which relates to the context in which his play Die Ermittlung (The Investigation) was written and features a wealth of markings, notes and bookmarks.

Since 1990, the estate of the writer Peter Weiss (1916–1982) has been held in the Akademie Archives. Among the centrepieces of the estate is his working library, which comprises over 3,000 volumes.

To mark the 110th anniversary of Peter Weiss’s birth, the Akademie's Library is presenting selected books from his private collection and offering a glimpse into the Library’s storage rooms.