The district of Munich has had a small library with an integrated music archive since spring 2022. Built from the old stocks of the local curators, it deals with the history of the district and its municipalities, but also with Bavarian history in general. The collection, which can be found in a southern wing of the district office, currently includes more than a thousand titles – local chronicles, cultural-historical weekly journals, historical handbooks, collections of music or song books. The library is purely a reference library, but is accessible to anyone interested. So if you want to find out more about the local history of Aying, Gräfelfing or Oberschleißheim or follow the historical traces of the Bavarians, you can study the works at one of the available workstations.
It’s different with the music archive. “Since music only lives when it is played, borrowing is even explicitly desired here,” says a current press release from the district office. The music archive is integrated into the library and is intended to document the musical heritage of the district in spoken and written form. The focus of the collection put together by citizens and district folk music curators is not only on folk music, but also on works of serious music and dance music. In addition, the archive contains sheet music for woodwind instruments and classical brass instruments and other instruments from the harp to the organ and violin.
“The district of Munich is striving to gradually expand the collections and is currently building a discography of music from the district together with the district folk music curator,” it says. Anyone interested in music, students or pupils can visit the archive and do research there. There is also the offer to borrow one of the 13 instruments for a period of time to try out. The main instruments to choose from are typical folk music instruments such as the zither, dulcimer, harp or Styrian harmonica.
An appointment is necessary for the visit
A prior appointment is required to visit the district library and the music archive. “The knowledge and customs collected here should of course also be used,” said cultural advisor Rainer Klier when the library opened its doors in the spring, “we want cultural interaction.” More information is available at www.landkreis-muenchen.de/themen/freizeit-kultur-sport/kultur/heimatpflege/landkreisbibliothek-und-musikarchiv/