Kiel "Chess Treasures"
by Michael Negele
During my business trip to Kiel I had at last the opportunity of paying an - unfortunately only short - visit to the "Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesbibliothek" (Regional Library of Schleswig-Holstein) in its residence in the Sartori&Berger-Speicher – Wall 47/51, right next to the "Schwedenkai".
I was able to communicate the interest of the Ken Whyld Association in preserving the large chess collections of public institutions to the director, Prof. Dieter Lohmeier, and to Mrs. Christine Möhle who takes care of the Kiel chess collection in an exemplary manner; and I was pleased that the Kieler are quite aware of their "chess treasures".
Interested chess friends world-wide may sift through the stores of the collection in Kiel by the online catalogue which is meanwhile available. They are quite willing to keep up chess literature as a focal point in future and to extend the collection within the bounds of the (financial) means.
During the conversion our particular interest was again emphasized to get some competent advice or input regarding our database project from the ranks of the Kiel library scientists; unfortunately the possibilities of Mrs. Möhle as a part-timer are very limited at the moment.
Some photos show my two kind hosts as well as the "treasures" from the collections of Wilhelm Maßmann and Gerd Meyer exhibited in display cabinets, the entrance and the building complex of the Sartori&Berger-Speicher on "Sartori-Kai" respectively.
(M.N.)