German Literary Society records

Collection

Identifier: XUA-132

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The German Literary Society records contain meeting minutes, essays, and debates handwritten in a bound ledger. They also include a treasurer's memo book noting student payments (1904-1905), correspondence, clippings, event programs, and later translations of some of the programs as well as a brief historical sketch of the student organization made by Edward VonderHaar, Vice President of Xavier University's Office of Public Relations. The correspondence and treasurer's account book were found inlaid between the front cover and flyleaf of the ledger.

Dates

Creation: 1868-1934

Creator

Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio). German Literary Society (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use. Materials must be viewed by appointment in the University Archives and Special Collections Research Room.

Conditions Governing Use

These records are in the public domain. Copyright law of the United States governs the reproduction of copyrighted material. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials.

History of the German Literary Society

According to the 1909-1910 Xavier University Catalog, the German Literary Society, a student organization that met weekly, “was organized on October 5, 1868. Its object is, by the means of debates, essays, and declamations, to afford its members an opportunity of acquiring ease and fluency in the German language.” The German Literary Society operated from 1868-1910, appearing in the annual University Catalog’s list of student organizations. It does not appear in the 1910-1911 catalog and the group seems to have disbanded between 1910 and 1914.

Extent

.25 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Records are arranged into one series: German Literary Society. Minutes are organized chronologically within minute book.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Records found in University Archives holdings. No acquisition information exists. Materials likely acquired by Xavier University Library from the society in the mid-20th century.

Related Materials

Announcements and articles about the German Literary Society appear in the university catalog.

Processing Information

Materials originally housed and organized in University Archives under the label "oversized acquisitions." The ledger was assigned an individual identifier (H-1) and listed in an internal inventory. Two folders of records were found by UASC staff in an assembled collection called "Student Clubs" in 2019. The assembled collection had been created in 2013 by UASC staff during a reprocessing project that dissolved records groups and reorganized content by subject. Another folder of records was found in the subject-based "St. Xavier College in the 19th century" collection. Since 2017, this practice of arrangement has ceased. During 2020 processing, UASC staff reunited the ledger and the folders and reunited them in their own collection. At this time, the ledger and folders were housed in archival boxes.