Autograph and Manuscript

Next auction: April 28, 2026

Our next autograph and manuscript auction will be held on April 28, 2026. Here are some of the highlights:

Novalis: Autograph letter to Ludwig Tieck dated January 1, 1801, the penultimate known letter by the poet, written barely three months before his death

Ludwig van Beethoven: Lengthy letter to the conductor and music publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister, dated April 22, 1801

Man Ray: His famous manifesto “Dadamade” on the beginnings of Dadaism, Ramatuelle, July 8, 1958

Johannes Brahms: Three important notebooks from 1853/54 with numerous aphorisms, text and poem excerpts, titled “Schatzkästlein des jungen Kreislers” (The Young Kreislers’ Treasure Chest), “Schöne Gedanken über Musik” (Beautiful Thoughts on Music) and “Des jungen Kreislers Schatzkästlein”

Friedrich Schiller: Fine letter to the Berlin publisher Spener, to whom he sends his poem “Das Spiel des Lebens” (The Game of Life), Jena, October 10, 1796

Marie-Antoinette of France: Her famous manuscript on the education of the Dauphin, July 25, 1789, from the Stefan Zweig Collection

Mary Queen of Scots: Partially encrypted secret letter signed to the Spanish ambassador in England, September 16, 1568

Karl Marx: Largely unpublished letter on the death of Ferdinand Lassalle, October 16, 1864

Our Auctions

J. A. Stargardt’s first autograph auction took place in 1859. We have been holding one or two auctions a year since the 1950s, which are among the highlights in the international trade and are attended by many private collectors, librarians, archivists and dealers from all over the world.

A comprehensive catalogue with detailed descriptions of all autographs is published for the auctions. Scans of all items are available online.

Due to our many years of experience and our unique market position, our auctions offer the ideal environment to achieve the best possible prices for your autographs. We are always interested in inquiries and offers for our auctions. We will be happy to advise you comprehensively and without obligation on all aspects of a sale.

Auction catalogue

The auction catalogue is now available, both in print and online.

VI. Theatre and Film

Conditions of Sale

Index of Names

Index of Places

You can order a copy of the printed catalogue here:

Participate

There are several ways to participate in our auction:

In person in the auction room. You register to participate and receive a bidder number.

In writing. Send us your maximum bids by mail or email, and we will bid on your behalf during the auction.

By phone. After registering in advance, you can have us call you for your lots (with estimates of €500 or more).

Online. Our auctions can be followed live on the Drouot and Invaluable platforms. After a simple registration process, you can participate in the auction and bid online.

On both platforms, we provide scans of all items up for auction.

Venue, Time table

Viewing:

• Monday April 20 until Thursday April 23, 10:00 am until 6:00 pm: At our offices, Xantener Strasse 6, 10707 Berlin

• Monday April 27, 10:00 am until 6:00 pm: Hotel Bristol, Kurfürstendamm 27, 10719 Berlin

Auction:

• Tuesday April 28, 10:00 am: Literature, Science, Arts (Lots 1-347)

• Tuesday April 28, 3:00 pm: History, Music, Theatre and Film (Lots 348-649)

Hotel Bristol, Kurfürstendamm 27, 10719 Berlin

Order or download catalogues

Our auction catalogues are available as elaborately produced print versions or as free PDFs on our website. Scans of all items in the auction are available online.

If you would like to order the current or an older catalogue (€ 25 to Europe, $ 60 abroad, including shipping), please use the contact form.