Rabbi Zwi Perez Chajes was a prominent Jewish scholar, teacher, community leader, and Zionist. Born in 1876 in Brody (Galicia) Rabbi Zwi Perez Chajes was the grandson of the rabbinic scholar Zevi Hirsch Chajes. As a youth, he studied Talmud and general topics before attending the Jewish Theological Seminary and University of Vienna. After completing his studies Rabbi Chajes rose to early prominence as a lecturer at the University of Florence (Italy) where he became a leading advocate for Zionism. In 1918 Chajes returned to Vienna to serve under Chief Rabbi Moritz Guedemann after whose death Chajes became the Chief Rabbi of Vienna. During his tenure as Chief Rabbi, Chajes was renowned for his great skill as an orator and he did a great deal of work for the Jewish community during the First World War and the subsequent economic depression. Throughout his life Chajes was a staunch Zionist and was chairman of the Zionist General Council from 1921-1925. Rabbi Zwi Perez Chajes died in 1927, his remains were reburied in the Trumpeldor cemetery in Tel Aviv, Israel.

This book stamp is from a book looted by the Nazis and sorted by Colonel Seymour Pomrenze, one of “the Monuments Men,” at the Offenbach Archival Depot.

There are two scrapbooks of archival markings from the books sorted at the Offenbach Depot in the Seymour Pomrenze Collection held by the American Jewish Historical Society (Call number P-933) There is a finding aid for the collection here The digitized scrapbooks are available here and here.


For more information on this project check the Center’s blog: 16thstreet.tumblr.com/tagged/Offenbach-Depot


Dr. Mitch Fraas, Acting Director of the Digital Humanities Forum at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries' Special Collections Center is working on a similar project for the German book stamps based on NARA microfilm of the volumes the American Jewish Historical Society currently holds. See viewshare.org/views/mfraas/offenbach-bookplates/


The Center for Jewish History would like to acknowledge the following: The American Jewish Historical Society, who graciously allowed the use of their archival materials and digital content; Mitch Fraas, Acting Director of the Digital Humanities Forum at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries' Special Collections Center, for his data and technical assistance in this project; David Rosenberg, Reference Services Research Coordinator, and Melanie Meyers, Senior Reference Services Librarian for Special Collections, for managing and creating the digital map; and Reference Services Intern Ilya Slavutskiy for his work on translating and mapping.