Slavic and East European Unique Print Collections: DP Publications

The Library holds a collection of 88 books in Russian published from 1944-1948 for displaced persons in occupied Germany, under the sponsorship of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). These books provide important documentation of the reading materials that were available to Russian emigré communities during that period, including novels, short stories, poetry, folk tales, humor and satire, political and religious writings, memoirs, and textbooks either originally written in Russian or translated into Russian.

Publications for Russian Displaced Persons (DP) was a gift from Mrs. Oksana Drai-Khmara Asher.

The New York Public Library began receiving the Ukrainian DP publications in the late 1940s, closely aligning with their original publication dates, and has continued to expand its collection through further acquisitions. Below please see a checklist showcasing a selection of publications from the holdings of The New York Public Library, specifically targeted at Ukrainian Displaced Persons (DPs) and printed between 1945 and 1954. Predominantly originating from Augsburg and Munich, this collection includes a diverse range of materials, from oversized folio books to smaller pamphlet volumes. The texts, primarily in Ukrainian, feature additional title pages in English and summaries in both English and German, catering to a broader audience.