File:Talmudic Library of Congregation Israel Salonica (12175254314).jpg

In 1912, when Salonica was reincorporated into Greece, the city already had a large and vibrant Jewish community. A devastating fire ravaged Salonica in 1917, destroying and otherwise impacting many of the synagogues, home, libraries, and institutions of Salonica’s Jewish community. After the fire, much of the Jewish community emigrated, but nevertheless the Jewish population numbered in excess of 50,000 in 1940. On April 9, 1941the Axis forces occupied Salonica, confiscating and destroying the Jewish community’s possessions, including libraries such as the one from which this book stamp comes.

This book stamp is from a book looted by the Nazis and sorted by Colonel Seymour Pomrenze, one of “the Monuments Men,” at the Offenbach Archival Depot.

There are two scrapbooks of archival markings from the books sorted at the Offenbach Depot in the Seymour Pomrenze Collection held by the American Jewish Historical Society (Call number P-933) There is a finding aid for the collection here The digitized scrapbooks are available here and here.


For more information on this project check the Center’s blog: 16thstreet.tumblr.com/tagged/Offenbach-Depot


Dr. Mitch Fraas, Acting Director of the Digital Humanities Forum at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries' Special Collections Center is working on a similar project for the German book stamps based on NARA microfilm of the volumes the American Jewish Historical Society currently holds. See viewshare.org/views/mfraas/offenbach-bookplates/


The Center for Jewish History would like to acknowledge the following: The American Jewish Historical Society, who graciously allowed the use of their archival materials and digital content; Mitch Fraas, Acting Director of the Digital Humanities Forum at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries' Special Collections Center, for his data and technical assistance in this project; David Rosenberg, Reference Services Research Coordinator, and Melanie Meyers, Senior Reference Services Librarian for Special Collections, for managing and creating the digital map; and Reference Services Intern Ilya Slavutskiy for his work on translating and mapping.