Concordia Seminary: Library

The Martens Collection consists of 108 psalters and hymnals. Most are American publications from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; a smaller number are German publications from the same period. Hymnals in the regular cataloged collection consist primarily of several hundred Lutheran hymnals from the sixteenth century to the present, many from specific regions of Germany following the Reformation; and German hymnals published in the United States, primarily by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and its predecessor bodies. The remainder of the cataloged collection (about 200 volumes) is eclectic and representative. In addition to nondenominational publications, it includes a broad representation of denominational hymnals from the United States, mostly from the late nineteenth through the late twentieth century. Consists of mostly Lutheran and some Protestant and Catholic hymnals. The library attempts to have a comprehensive collection of Lutheran hymnals. Beyond that, the focus is on providing a broad representation of current and recent hymnals of other U.S. denominations. Approximately 200 of the older German hymnals are not in the online catalog but are accessible on-site in the card catalog. No personal papers, although there are some historical documents relating to the preparation of The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), Lutheran Worship (1982), and the Lutheran Service Book (2006). Date range: 16th c.-present.