Library Scholarship for Authors – Researching at the Gotha Research Library
Libraries not only preserve literature—they can also inspire it. The research grant is aimed at authors of all literary genres who wish to engage with the holdings of the Gotha Research Library during the research phase of their literary projects. The Gotha Research Library is one of the most important historical libraries in the German-speaking world. It forms part of the collections of the Ducal House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, which existed from 1640 to 1825, and the holdings of the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, assembled in Gotha between 1826 and 1945. Both collections are housed in Friedenstein Castle. At the core of its holdings is an outstanding collection of manuscripts, autographs, and estates relating to the cultural history of Protestantism in the early modern period. The collection of approximately 3,500 Oriental manuscripts is one of the largest of its kind in Germany. The Perthes Collection comprises unique source material on the development of cartography and geography in the 19th and 20th centuries. The library also holds an important collection of letters written by German emigrants to America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The extensive holdings of travel literature, the estate of science fiction author Kurd Laßwitz, and documents related to the Illuminati Order—an area of intensive research in Gotha—offer rich opportunities for literary exploration. Equally distinctive are the resources on educational and natural history, which range from astronomy and alchemy to botany. Applications should specify which library holdings are relevant to the literary work. For further questions about the collections, please contact: PD Dr. Monika Müller Tel. 0361-737 55 61 monika.mueller@uni-erfurt.de
Scholarship details
The scholarship is awarded for an outstanding artistic project characterized by exceptional quality and originality. A prerequisite for application is a specific research project involving the holdings of the Gotha Research Library. Applicants must have at least one literary publication by a recognized publisher. The library scholarship is awarded for one month and is endowed with 1,500 euros. Scholarship holders with children (up to 18 years old) receive a one-time family allowance of 100 euros, upon presentation of a birth certificate. Accommodation in the guest house of the Gotha Research Center (living unit with private bathroom and kitchen) is provided for the duration of the stay. The scholarship can only be awarded once per person. Part of the funding includes a public presentation of the project at an event in Gotha. Only one scholarship per person can be granted by the Thuringian Cultural Foundation in a single funding year.
Exclusion criteria
The scholarship cannot be awarded if:
- Another scholarship has already been granted for the same project prior to this one.
- Another scholarship (regardless of the project) is being held during the same period.
- The applicant is enrolled at a university at the time of application, or if the project forms part of a training program or contributes to academic qualification.
Application requirements
Applications must include:
- A project description (maximum 2 standard pages).
- Information about the relevant holdings of the Gotha Research Library.
- A text sample of the planned project (maximum 10 standard pages as a PDF) or an excerpt from a previously published work (maximum 10 standard pages as a PDF).
- A tabular curriculum vitae (including educational background and artistic career, with a bibliography listing publishers), maximum 3 DIN A4 pages as a PDF.
- Proposed period of stay (until December 31 of the funding year).
- If applicable, birth certificate(s) for child/children under 18 years of age.
Only applications that meet all requirements and length specifications will be reviewed by the jury. There is no legal entitlement to funding. Funding is granted within the limits of the available budget.
Submission deadline
Applications (including the application form, work samples, and supporting documents) must be submitted in digital form as PDF files by February 28, 2026, to: Literarische Gesellschaft Thüringen e. V. Attn: Guido Naschert Marktstr. 2–4 99423 Weimar bibliotheksstipendium@literarische-gesellschaft.de
Cooperation partners
Kulturstiftung des Freistaats Thüringenhttps://www.kulturstiftung-thueringen.de/
Freundeskreis der Forschungsbibliothek Gotha e. V.https://www.fk-fbgth.de/
Forschungszentrum Gothahttps://www.uni-erfurt.de/forschungszentrum-gotha
Literarische Gesellschaft Thüringen e. V.https://www.literarische-gesellschaft.de/
Data protection
By submitting an application, applicants consent to the collection and processing of the personal data required for the selection process (e.g., name, address, and project details). This information may be shared with persons involved in the review process. Upon approval, scholarship recipients agree to the disclosure of their names by cooperation partners. There is no entitlement to publication of the funded work by any partner institution. All parties involved are bound by the applicable State Data Protection Act, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, and other relevant laws. Detailed information can be found in our data protection notice.
Detailed information and the application form can be found on the website of the Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Thüringen.