This collection depicts the life and work of the author Georg Hermann. The main focus of this collection is his literary estate, and the collection contains extensive manuscripts of both his fiction and non-fiction writings, including novels, shorter fiction, essays, and articles. In addition, it also holds correspondence, clippings, photos, official documents and papers, writings by others about Georg Hermann and his work, and a few photos.

The collection consists of material pertaining to Rabbi Leo Baeck. The material, mostly secondary, was collected by the Leo Baeck Institute’s staff and in some cases bear markings and notes by the Institute’s staff.

This collection holds materials relating to the life of Hedwig Strauss, a Jewish woman who perished during the Shoah. Although it is primarily composed of letters and postcards to her son Walter dealing with her life in Germany between 1939 to 1941 and her attempts to escape, it also includes further correspondence with and between family members as well as personal and official documents on Hedwig Strauss and her son Walter.

The Herbert Strauss Collection documents the life and professional activities of Herbert Strauss, writer, historian, and teacher. The collection includes correspondence, court procedures, documents, lists, manuscripts and lectures, notes, photographs, printed materials, and a small amount of teaching materials. Materials constituting the collection reflect various aspects of Herbert Strauss’ personal life, teaching, research and writings in the fields of German-Jewish history and relations, Anti-Semitism, and assimilation. The collection includes both, personal and professional materials related to Herbert Strauss, with personal being by far the smaller.

This collection describes the history of the Israel Family of Berlin as well as their firm, the Kaufhaus N. Israel. Material on the N. Israel store includes publications, clippings, photographs, and correspondence concerning restitution for its loss. In addition, this collection also holds family papers, documents pertaining to family history, and family trees.

This collection holds material relating to Karl Rosenthal, rabbi of the Berlin Reform Congregation and Temple of Israel in Wilmington, North Carolina. Items in this collection center on his life, especially his time as rabbi in Berlin, as well as on the life of his wife. In addition to biographical material, the collection also holds Karl Rosenthal's writings, such as sermons and published articles. There are also two tapes of a lengthy interview with Trudie Rosenthal that describe the Rosenthals' life in Germany.

The Leo Baeck Collection documents the life and work of Rabbi Leo Baeck, well-known as a leader, scholar, and spokesman for German Jewry. Although the most prominent items in this collection are articles, clippings, and biographical material on Leo Baeck, the collection also holds original manuscripts of his writing, as well as personal documents, correspondence, and a small amount of photographs and artwork.

The Leo Baeck Family Collection documents the lives and influential events of members of the Baeck and Berlak families, specifically Leo Baeck, Ruth and Hermann Berlak, and Marianne and A. Stanley Dreyfus. Most prominent is the documentation on Leo Baeck's life; other salient themes include the World War I experience of Hermann Berlak and the Dreyfuses' involvement in preserving the memory of Leo Baeck's life and teachings. The collection includes extensive correspondence; a large accumulation of articles, especially those focused on Leo Baeck; a smaller amount of personal papers, manuscripts, drafts and notes; and a few photographs and slides.

This collection contains personal papers of Margaret Gabali Rosenfelt (1912-2005), including official documents as well as correspondence with family, German and French authorities, and her friend Rudolf Schneider, a Stuttgart architect. A diary and memoirs are also included.

This collection holds the papers of Stephen J. Fraenkel, a civil engineer. Much of the collection focuses on his experiences in Germany in the 1930s and his first years in the United States, as well as on his attempts to receive restitution from the German government. Papers in this collection include correspondence, photographs and postcards, certificates and diplomas, and articles written by Stephen J. Fraenkel or pertaining to his profession.

The collection mainly comprises material related to Werner Hans Bloch's genealogical studies about his and Elsa Bloch's families. Also included are documents pertaining to Werner Hans and Elsa Bloch's family life, such as correspondence, photographs and official documents.