Liber amicorum, Album amicorum, Philotheca, Stammbuch, friendship book, poetry album. These are all names for a small book in which handwritten contributions from friends and acquaintances were collected. These contributions often consisted of signatures with accompanying text, sometimes accompanied by an image. The KB holds a large collection of alba amicorum spanning various centuries. For the period before 1900, that collection already numbers more than 600 alba.
The origin of this type of booklet can be found in the sixteenth century. At the Protestant University of Wittenberg, German students began collecting signatures of famous theologians, such as Philip Melanchthon or Martin Luther. Initially, printed books were used for this purpose, often the work of the famous professor himself. However, other booklets, such as emblem books, were also used. These were interspersed with blank pages, making it easier to write down contributions.
Foreign students at those universities quickly adopted the practice. When they returned to their home countries, they took their alba amicorum with them. In this way, the collecting of contributions from friends spread throughout (Northern) Europe. Dutch students were forerunners of this expansion. The oldest known album from the Netherlands, for example, is that of Stephanus van Rhemen, a student from Deventer who compiled an album in 1556 while studying in Wittenberg. His album, containing a contribution from Melanchthon among others, is preserved in the Gelders Archief.
The earliest friendship book in the KB collection dates from the same period. It is an interleaved copy of Alciatus’ Emblemata from Lyon (1551). It contains 92 contributions from the period 1558 to 1597. The album (KW 133 M 142) has been attributed to Philippus Anshelm, but it may have had an earlier owner.
Keeping an album amicorum became increasingly popular, and the genre continued to evolve. It was not only professors who were asked to contribute. The album amicorum also had room for the inscriptions of fellow students, friends, and family members. Even famous literary figures, statesmen, or artists were asked for a signature.
This page provides an overview of the various types of albums in the KB collection. Albums from different centuries will be discussed in greater detail. A distinction is also made between albums owned by female owners, family albums, and albums with special artist contributions.