Erich Kästner library, Literary museum and library in Oberschwarzach, Germany

The Erich Kästner Library occupies a former mill in Oberschwarzach that was converted to house the collection. It holds Kästner's desk with his typewriter, his glasses and clothing, photographs, and his private library of around 10,000 books, some with his notes or dedications by other writers. The library also functions as a museum aimed mainly at children.

Luiselotte Enderle, Kästner's long-time partner, stipulated in her will that the entire contents of their flat at Flemingstraße 52 in Munich should pass to the Erich Kästner Kinderdorf association after her death, to be used for keeping Kästner's name alive and for the care of children. When Enderle died in 1991, a former mill in Oberschwarzach was converted to house the newly founded library.

The library is run as a museum aimed above all at children, in keeping with the Erich Kästner Children's Village association that owns the estate. Many of the roughly 10,000 volumes in Kästner's private library carry his own notes or dedications written by other authors. The house on Flemingstraße 52 in Munich, where he and Luiselotte Enderle lived, supplied the entire inventory.

Visitors should arrange an appointment in advance to access the collections and participate in guided tours. Educational programs and group visits are regularly available, so it helps to contact the library beforehand.

The library is housed in a former mill in Oberschwarzach, converted after Luiselotte Enderle's death in 1991. Enderle, Kästner's long-time partner, stipulated in her will that the entire contents of their shared flat at Flemingstraße 52 in Munich go to the Erich Kästner Children's Village. The library sees itself as a museum aimed mainly at children.