Groeber, Gustav | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Born 1844. Died 1911. World-recognized Romance scholar and a Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Strassburg. Celebrated for the encyclopedic breadth of his interests, which were clearly reflected in the titles of the 6,367 volumes and pamphlets comprising his library. Widely known as editor of the <i>Zeitschrift fuer romanische Philologie</i> and of the <i>Grundriss der romanischen Philologie</i>.

While his library was strong in general linguistics and classical literatures, it was particularly rich in Provencal and Italian literature and linguistics. Because of Professor Groeber's recognized position as a leading Romance scholar, he received nearly every brochure published in Germany relating to Romance topics over a course of more than thirty years. It would be almost impossible to duplicate the body of dissertations and other studies thus accumulated. This unique collection nearly doubled the number of books in the University's Romance Library at the time, making it an important center of Romance material.