Die jüdische Buchhandlung Belf in Wien 1868-1938

Am 29. April 2025 fand die Eröffung der Ausstellung "BELF. History of
a Viennese Jewish Bookstore" statt.

Ausstellungsort:
Fachbibliothek Zeitgeschichte am Campus der Universität Wien
Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1.12
1090 Wien

Programm:

Begrüßung und Einführung
Andreas Brandtner | Direktor der Universitätsbibliothek Wien
Monika Schreiber | Fachbereichsbibliothek Judaistik, Universitätsbibliothek Wien
Felicitas Heimann-Jelinek | Kuratorin
Martin Kohlbauer | Ausstellungsarchitekt

Präsentation: Stolen Books – Recovering Our Family's Legacy
Adam Krupnick | Ehepartner einer Mitglieds der Familie Belf

Im Anschluss Besichtigung der Ausstellung

Vegetarische Brötchen und Getränke

About the exhibition
March 1938: In the wake of the National Socialist seizure of power, members of the Jewish Belf family, who operate a publishing house and a bookstore, are subjected to violent abuse by Nazi paramilitaries and the Gestapo. During the pogrom in November 1938, also known as "Kristallnacht", Nazi troops loot the business at 3 Rabensteig Street in Vienna's First District and deport its owner, Josef Belf, to the Dachau concentration camp.
These harrowing events, repeated hundreds of times in Vienna alone, marked the end of a company which, for decades, had supplied the Viennese Jewish community with traditional literature and objects for religious practice, thus enabling and strengthening Jewish self-determination and identity.
The exhibition, which will be on display at the Contemporary History Library from April 29 to October 31, illustrates the history of this Jewish family business with historical photographs and a collection of books published or sold by the firm. The fate of the Belf bookstore encapsulates the systematic eradication of
religious, cultural, intellectual, and ultimately physical, Jewish life in Vienna.

Exhibition prolonged until 31 January 2026

About the Presentation
Adam Krupnick, the spouse of a Belf f family member, will discuss his remarkable experience researching the Belf family and recovering looted items from the Belf bookstore.

Curator Guided Tours
The exhibition is prolonged until 30 January 2026.
The following guided tours by the curator are planned:
- Tue, 25 November, 17:00
- Tue, 16 December, 17:00
- Tue, 13 January, 17:00
- Tue, 27 January, 17:00

On January 28th at 6:00 PM, a guided tour of the exhibition will take place as part of a closing event. This will be followed by short presentations from people involved in the planning and design of the exhibition.

Cooperations
Vienna University Library
City of Vienna. Culture and History
Federal Ministry, Republic of Austria. Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport
Future Fund of the Republic of Austria
Jewish Welcome Service Vienna
National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism