The Art History Department and its library were created at the same time as the founding of Freie Universität in December 1948. The collection mission was to acquire literature on Western art of all epochs and its spheres of influence, in all languages. It was aimed to represent as many important artists and monuments through the most important publications. Over time, three particular foci took shape: literature on German and Italian art and on architecture. In 1950 the estate of art historian Arthur Haseloff (1872-1955) was acquired; approximately 4.000 volumes from his collection form the basis of the library's original stock. Numerous endowments and purchases added to the collection in the following years. The library acquired new prominence during the leadership of Department Head Hans Kauffmann (1896-1983), appointed in 1957, who initiated a period of intensive purchasing. In keeping with the research areas of the respective Chairs of Art History, the topical spectrum continued to broaden. The libraries of prominent art historians have repeatedly enriched the collection. Thus in 1992 the Scholl-Eisenwerth Library of Photography (Munich) was acquired by the Art History Department Library; in 2002 around 7.000 volumes from the estate of Josepha Weitzmann-Fiedler and Kurt Weitzmann became part of the library's collection.