Grants

Throughout its history, the Kierkegaard Library has received numerous grants to further the development of Kierkegaard studies. We continue to pursue new opportunities. If you know of any local, state, or national grant opportunities that align with our interests, or you are interested in supporting the Kierkegaard Library, please contact Director and Curator Anna Söderquist at soderq3@stolaf.edu.

Past Projects:

“Kierkegaard and Vocation”

Received from the Lutheran Center’s “‘Life on Purpose’: Vocation Across the Curriculum” initiative at St. Olaf College, this grant allowed the Kierkegaard Library to compile resources connecting Kierkegaard’s writings with the theme of vocation and calling, as well as to host a three-part lecture series with Kierkegaard scholar Deidre Green (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley) during the spring of 2024.

NEH Preservation Assistance Grant

“NEH Grant Update“

By Kiara Fitzpatrick ’25, October 2022

Since being awarded the prestigious Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the HKL’s preservation efforts of rare and invaluable Kierkegaardian texts has persisted. Conservator Bailey Kinsey has been hard at work assessing and planning for the care of 113 selected texts. These texts are specifically from the HKL’s pre-1856 collection, which is housed in its own vault found in Rolvaag Memorial Library. We are so thankful for the continued support of the St. Olaf community and all friends of the HKL worldwide.  

While we await Kinsky’s final report, the staff of the HKL are determined to spread enthusiasm for preservation efforts and knowledge of resources at the library. Howard and Edna Hong, the founding scholars of the HKL, collected texts from across the globe and consolidated them into a first-class collection of works of, about, or influenced by Kierkegaard. When this collection was donated to St. Olaf College, the Hong Kierkegaard Library was created. 

In the years since its creation by dedicated scholars of Kierkegaard, the HKL has become not just a world-renowned collection, but is at the forefront of its field as a Center for Research and Publication. Outside of Denmark, the HKL houses the largest collection of texts by, about, or related to Soren Kierkegaard, and we continue to draw scholars to Northfield from all over the world. With such magnitude and composition, research on Kierkegaard sees its pinnacle within the walls of Steensland Hall. The collection’s careful cultivation continues to inspire new minds and spur the publication of innovative texts. The texts found in the Rare Book Room are incredibly rare, and with Kinsky’s preservation work, scholars will be able to reference and learn from them for years to come. 

This conservation treatment documentation of 113 rare books was undertaken with the support of a Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.