Maria Friedrich (1922-2012), founder and publisher of dtv junior, successfully shaped the dtv children's book programme for almost 20 years. One of her heartfelt concerns was the promotion of young illustration. At the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, she taught students in order to win them over to children's book illustration. Many of her students therefore gave her prints and pictures on special occasions, which became an extensive collection in the course of her life. On the occasion of Maria Friedrich's 100th birthday, this collection was presented by her daughter Ulrike Schultheis as a donation to the International Youth Library Foundation. Maria Friedrich was closely associated with the International Youth Library for many years.
The collection contains works by Rotraut Susanne Berner, Ulrike Baier, Ralph Bittner, Wilfried Blecher, Nadia Budde, Eric Carle, Antje Damm, Wolf Erlbruch, Lilo Fromm, Janosch, Ursula Kirchberg, Horst Lemke, Reinhard Michl, Celestino Piatti, Rolf and Margit Rettich, Eva Johanna Rubin, Brigitte Smith, Frantz Wittkamp, Alfred Zacharias and many others. The pictures and graphics have been catalogued in Kalliope under the name "Sammlung Friedrich-Schultheis".