Charles Porterfield Krauth Memorial Library

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The Charles Porterfield Krauth Memorial Library, a branch of the United Lutheran Seminary Library, traces its roots to the founding of the Philadelphia seminary, with the earliest books acquired by Carl Rudolph Dimme, pastor of St. Michael's, Germantown. Core faculty, including Dr. Krauth and Charles Frederick Schaeffer, increased the collection. Krauth Memorial Library was constructed in 1908 and expanded in the 1970s and 2016. Today, the Krauth Branch houses over 200,000 items: including books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and an extensive collection of rare books, focusing on the reformation ,Lutheran scholasticism, and Lutheran liturgical resources.

This beautiful building contains innovative architectural elements. Given the challenges of indoor lighting at the time of its construction, the original stacks were designed to take in as much natural light as possible: large skylights in the arched ceiling open the stacks to sunlight. The floors of both the main level and the balcony are made of glass to permit light to reach the lower level. Cast-iron structural stacks provide attractive shelving and an efficient use of space. A colorful, abstract stained-glass window donated in honor of Dr. John Doberstein, a former faculty member, adds color and vitality. Krauth Memorial Library also has meditation and study spaces, including a labyrinth in its upper rotunda for walking meditation, a meditation room with icons and religious art, and the Lillian Scoggins Music Room.

Archives for Region 7 of the ELCA are not a part of the library but can be found in the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia on the Philadelphia campus.