Founded in 1989 as the first German poetry library, the Lyrik Kabinett is based in Munich and located in the Institute of Comparative Literature at the University of Munich. Its collection of 20,000 volumes is being expanded systematically. The Lyrik Kabinett regularly puts on poetry readings (around 36 a year) and annually publishes a book featuring a special poet or poems it wants to recommend to readers of German poetry.
About half of the poetry readings are given by contemporary poets, the other half involve readings from the work of dead poets. Likewise, the readings are divided equally between poets writing in German and those writing in other languages (diese immer auch in der Originalsprache).
The poetry library is a public, non-lending library. The collection comprises poetry from all eras in German. Poetry in other languages is also collected in the original and in translation, as well as 'Künstlerbücher' incorporating poetry. The website gives details of access and events.
