Hans P. Kraus

Hans Peter Kraus
Hans Peter Kraus
Born	October 12, 1907 (age 119); Vienna, Austria
Died	November 1, 1988 (aged 81); Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States
Occupation(s)	Rare book dealer, collector, businessman
Years active	1932–1988
Known for	Rare book dealing, medieval illuminated manuscripts, incunables, Gutenberg Bible sales

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Hans P. Kraus, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Hans Peter Kraus (October 12, 1907 – November 1, 1988), often referred to as H. P. Kraus or HPK, was an Austrian-born American rare book dealer recognized as one of the most influential and successful figures in the rare book trade during the latter half of the 20th century. His prominence is comparable to renowned dealers such as Bernard Quaritch and A.S.W. Rosenbach. Kraus's expertise centered on medieval illuminated manuscripts, incunables—books printed before 1501—and rare volumes from the 16th and 17th centuries, although his dealings encompassed a broad range of valuable and significant works. Among his remarkable holdings were a Gutenberg Bible and both the 1457 and 1459 Psalters, all acquired for his personal inventory rather than consignment.

Early life and European career

Originating from Vienna, Austria, Kraus gained experience working with R. Lechner in Vienna and Ernst Wasmuth in Berlin before establishing his own rare book enterprise in 1932. Despite the economic difficulties of the Great Depression, his business prospered. Following the 1938 Anschluss, Kraus, being Jewish, was detained and interned initially at Dachau concentration camp and subsequently at Buchenwald concentration camp. After eight months of imprisonment, he was freed and returned to Vienna but was compelled to leave Austria within two months.

He relinquished his enterprise along with a stockpile of approximately 100,000 books, though some valuable items had been previously sent to Switzerland. Kraus then moved to Stockholm, Sweden, where he reunited with his mother shortly before the outbreak of World War II. In September 1939, he obtained a visa to the United States, arriving in New York City on October 12; among his possessions was the notable 1494 Vérard Columbus letter, which became his first significant item attracting attention in America. Within a fortnight of arrival, he met Hanni Zucker from Vienna, whom he later wed.

Professional achievements in the United States

Upon relocating to New York, Kraus reestablished his rare book business and rapidly gained prominence. His initial major transaction involved selling to Lessing J. Rosenwald, an esteemed collector whose early printed book collection was subsequently donated to the Library of Congress. Throughout his career, Kraus brokered numerous important medieval illuminated manuscripts, incunables, and other rare books. Significant sales included the Anhalt Gospels, the illuminated Hours of Catherine of Cleves—now partially housed at the Morgan Library—the Arthur Houghton copy of the Gutenberg Bible sold for $2.5 million, three copies of Caxton's first edition of the Canterbury Tales, as well as Thomas Jefferson’s original manuscript of the Louisiana Purchase proclamation. In 1961, Kraus purchased the enigmatic Voynich manuscript for $24,500; however, after seven years without securing a buyer at an asking price of $160,000, he donated it to Yale's Beinecke Library. Additionally, he sold the distinguished Giant Bible of Mainz to Rosenwald who then contributed it to the Library of Congress. Prior to World War II, Kraus emerged as a leading dealer in Romanov family books by acquiring collections from Russian booksellers Simeon J. Bolan and Israel Perlstein.

Kraus was an early adopter of acquiring entire libraries or collections at discounted rates and then reselling individual or smaller groups of items accompanied by meticulous research and detailed catalogs for considerable profit. This approach continued in America where he purchased around 20,000 volumes from the Prince Liechtenstein library in 1949 at a "rock bottom" price; he also acquired Frederick Baldwin Adams Jr.’s complete collection of early communist and radical literature as well as in 1977 obtaining what remained of Sir Thomas Phillipps’s extensive 19th-century manuscript collection—which still contained approximately 2,000 manuscript volumes plus 130,000 letters and documents despite decades of dispersal through auctions.

In 1952, Kraus secured possession of an exceptionally rare incunabulum known as the Constance Missal, previously known only from two copies. Although undated, its typography resembled but appeared more primitive than that found in the Psalters of 1457 and 1459; this led some scholars to hypothesize that it might predate the Gutenberg Bible. Kraus sold this bibliographical treasure to the Morgan Library. Nearly twenty years later, through watermark analysis conducted by Allan Stevenson, its date was conclusively established as 1473—well after the Gutenberg Bible’s printing—although Kraus himself continued to assert that it was earlier.

Sale catalogs

Kraus consistently produced printed catalogs that provided comprehensive descriptions of books and manuscripts. With a total exceeding 223 catalogs, these publications continue to serve as important reference materials. Some editions featured full-color images showcasing bindings and artwork, while a select number were issued in hardcover format. Kraus curated what has been described as "the largest and most thorough bibliographic reference library ever compiled by a book dealer."

Businessman and collector

Accumulating considerable wealth through rare book and manuscript dealings, Kraus exemplified his "business success philosophy" with the motto: "Push on, hit hard, follow through." He was uniquely distinguished by simultaneously possessing copies of the Gutenberg Bible as well as the 1457 and 1459 Psalters in his inventory, alongside owning the majority of key incunabula. Additionally, he traded more Caxton editions than any other living bookseller at the time. His autobiography details numerous lucrative purchases and sales, along with missed chances, including some involving the Dead Sea Scrolls.

While Kraus admitted that his autobiography might give the impression of focusing solely on financial gain, he was deeply devoted to collecting. His specialization included materials related to Francis Drake, culminating in a biography of Drake based on his collection, which he later donated to the Library of Congress. Furthermore, he assembled an important archive of manuscripts concerning colonial Spanish America, including a letter from Amerigo Vespucci, which he gifted in 1969.

In 1978, Kraus released his autobiography titled A Rare Book Saga.

Journals and reprints

Kraus ventured into the academic and technical journal market by acquiring extensive collections that he then resold to libraries at substantial profit margins. In 1947, he established Kraus Periodicals Inc. in New York to focus on distributing complete runs of scholarly journals, amassing over 300,000 issues purchased en bloc. By 1956, after receiving repeated requests for identical journal issues, he founded Kraus Reprint Corporation to reproduce scientific and academic journals as well as reference books. This reprint division was sold to Lord Thomson in 1965.

End of the business

After Kraus passed away on November 1, 1988, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, his widow Hanni along with daughter Mary Ann and son-in-law Roland Folter briefly oversaw operations. Ultimately, the company ceased activity, with its remaining stock and bibliographic resources auctioned through Sotheby's.

Works

Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography by Hans P. Kraus – Presentation available online at the Library of Congress

External links

H. P. Kraus Library Auction – Footage covering the shutdown of his enterprise and the disposition of his reference collection
Hans P. and Hanni Kraus Collection of Sir Francis Drake – Featured within the Library of Congress Rare Book Collections