Student colloquium on numismatic shops in berlin from 1933 onwards
Review on february 29, 2026
Review
On January 29, 2026, a student colloquium on Berlin coin dealers from 1933 onwards took place in the study hall of the Coin Cabinet at the Bode Museum. Students from Humboldt University in Berlin presented their research findings from the course Numismatic Provenance Research: Digital Resources and Methods.
The presentations focused on Berlin coin dealers and coin trading after 1933, including Felix Schlessinger, Robert Ball Nachf., Edmund Rappaport, and Waldemar Wruck. The students demonstrated how digital methods and resources can support provenance research on coins and collections. Historical documents, commercial registers, and digital editions make it possible to trace the ownership and trade routes of coins, thereby gaining important insights into the history of the collections and the dealers involved.
The colloquium highlighted how digital tools and methodological approaches in numismatics contribute to making historical contexts more visible and to addressing provenance research questions more efficiently. It also showed that exchange between students and experts is an essential part of research: personal conversations and discussions enabled new perspectives and interpretations to be developed.
The evening combined professional depth with personal, collegial exchange and offered all participants the opportunity to engage in intensive discussion about the challenges and opportunities of numismatic provenance research. The colloquium was a successful example of how teaching, research, and digital methods can be successfully combined in the field of provenance research.