HISTORY

How The Bookshelf e.V. got started

In the early 1990’s, the U.S. Army in Munich had a full-scale library with some 38,000 books.(Though not open to the general public, one could use it in exchange for volunteer hours.) When the U.S. Army left Munich, a small group of booklovers — left without a source of books - decided to start their own library. So “The Bookshelf, e.V.” (non-profit organization under German law) opened its doors in 1992 in a gift shop at Mangfallplatz in the south of Munich. In 1997 we moved to our present location, where we operate as a community service, completely staffed by volunteers.