Commission for Mathematicians‘ Bequests

The members of the Commission for Mathematicians’ Bequests have collected and catalogued the bequests of significant mathematicians. Their primary task was to locate manuscripts that, for instance, are not available for purchase at auctions, ensure their proper preservation, and thoroughly catalogue them. 

The commission was a joint project of the Manuscripts Department of the Göttingen State and University Library (SUB), the German Mathematical Society, and the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The Academy supported the commission by funding half of a librarian position dedicated to processing the bequests. The Manuscripts Department holds one of the most important collections of documents in the history of mathematics, with key bequests from Carl Friedrich Gauss, Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann, David Hilbert, and Felix Klein.

Central Archive for Mathematicians’ Bequests

Commission Members

Chair: Prof Dr Samuel James Patterson

Prof Dr Moritz Epple / Prof Dr Ulrich Krengel / Prof Dr Karin Reich / Prof Dr Norbert Schappacher