The Brahms Institute is aimed at music lovers, musicians and musicologists. The Institute was founded in 1990 with the acquisition of the world's largest private collection of Brahms, the Hofmann collection. As an “Associated Institution” it is affiliated with the MHL. The facility has been under the direction of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Sandberger since 1999. In the summer of 2002, the the Institute moved into the classical villa Lübeck Eschenburg in front of the Gates of Lübeck. With concerts, lectures, theme evening and exhibitions, the Institute has opened up to a larger, interested audience. The basis of the Institute's work is a unique collection of sources materials, whose profile reaches far beyond their namesake. Apart from Johannes Brahms, the focus is on Robert and Clara Schumann, Theodor Kirchner and Joseph Joachim, as well as lesser known performers and composers from the Brahms environment. The collection consists primarily of sources of musical works: precious manuscripts, engravings, first and early prints. In addition, extensive correspondences come from these composers as well as letters from friends and contemporaries. Another focus is the iconographic stock: photos, pictures and drawings; with a large part of the personal photo collection of Johannes Brahms. The unique bundle comprised of with program notes on important original, premiere and subsequent performances preserves important documents of the reception history. A large part  comes directly from the Brahms Estate, as well. A large part of the collection is now available digitally. Collecting is a must! True to the motto, the Institute has the tasks of the enlarging the collection through targeted acquisition, preservation and scientific development. Thanks to the generous support of numerous foundations in the past few years, the collection of manuscripts has been added to through a few top-caliber sources. Presenting the collection in changing exhibitions is an important aspect oft he collection, in addition to providing the sources in digital form.

In addition, the research projects are located at the Institute. Most recently, the project sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG) "Brahms’s Correspondence Register" and "Dedicated to Brahms" that has been taking place since November 2010 and is funded by the Possehl Foundation Lübeck with a PhD position. It focuses on the approximately 100 works that were devoted to Brahms's lifetime mostly in “reverence" or "friendship" in his composing environment. Numerous publications, including standard works, such as the Brahms Manual have enriched the Brahms Research in recent years.

The Institute Library is open to scholars, students and interested laymen: Tue, Wed, Thu: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and by appointment.

• 2,500 books (biographies, work analyses, exhibition catalogs) and auction catalogs 20 journals
• 2,500 first and early printed music books
• 1,500 LPs and 200 CDs (that convey a comprehensive impression of Johannes Brahms, his works and composing friends and contemporaries).

In spring 2011, the Association for the Promotion of Brahms Institute inherited the estate of Renate Wirth. Both grandfathers of the music teacher belonged to the circle of friends of Johannes Brahms: Emanuel Wirth who had been a violist since 1877 in the famous Joachim Quartet and the renowned singer and teacher Julius Stockhausen. The personal music libraries of both musicians are available for highly valuable research. These include many first and early prints, which made it into the household of Renate Wirth and are currently being catalogued and evaluated. Thanks to the close connection between the Brahms Institute and MHL, the sustainable sharing of music research and artistic practice has intensified. The annual MHL Brahms Festival, is one of the highlights of the event calendar. Monthly departmental events such as "Music in the Museum" or in the summer, "Brahms-Cafés" offer students of MHL the opportunity to gain stage experience. Here, the Ballroom of the villa offers a stylish backdrop for concerts and lectures that take Johannes Brahms from several perspectives into view

"Findbuch Brahms"
The collection of the Brahms Institute at a glance: Presentation of the digital inventory database of the Brahms Institute at the University of Music Lübeck from July 1, 2020 with greetings from Prof. Rico Gubler MHL-President and Dr. Oliver Grundei State Secretary for Science and Culture of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, project presentation with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Sandberger director of the Brahms Institute at the MHL and Dr. Fabian Bergener project collaborator as well as music by Johannes Brahms and Theodor Fürchtegott Kirchner, played by Prof. Konrad Elser piano and Ulf Tischbirek cello.

More than 12,600 manuscripts, prints, photographs, program notes and unique memorabilia from the collection have been brought together for the first time in a Findbuch and can be viewed online at www.brahms-institut.de from July 1, 2020.

Financed by funds of the State of Schleswig-Holstein.

More videos from the Brahms Institute can be found here.

www.brahms-institut.de

Brahms-Institute at the MHL
Villa Brahms
Jerusalemsberg 4
23568 Lübeck

Head
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Sandberger 

Office
Birgitt Rehbock
E 13
T: +49 (0)451-1505-414
F: +49 (0)451-1505-420
Mail to the Brahms-Institute

Library
Stefan Weymar
1.3
T: +49 (0)451-1505-402
F: +49 (0)451-1505-420
Mail to Mr. Weymar

Institute staff
Dr. Fabian Bergener
1.7
T: +49 (0)451-1505-419
F: +49 (0)451-1505-420
Mail to Dr. Bergener

Research assistant
Dr. des. Teresa Cäcilia Ramming
1.7
T: +49 (0)451-1505-416
F: +49 (0)451-1505-420
Mail to Dr. des. Ramming

PhD Student
Christoph Arta
1.2
T: +49 (0)451-1505-417
F: +49 (0)451-1505-420
Mail to Mr. Arta