The Austrian National Library’s roots can be found in the Middle Ages, when the Austrian Duke Albrecht III moved all the books from the Viennese Vaults to an imperial library. The Duke also commissioned many works to be translated from Latin into German. The oldest book in the library today is the Golden Holy Gospels, transcribed by a priest in 1368 and one of Duke Albrecht’s possessions.
In 1722, Emperor Karl VI authorized the construction of a building at the Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, to house the Imperial Library. Today, this addition is known as the “Prunksaal” (Hall of Splendor) of the National Library and houses over 200,000 books. It was also during this Baroque era that scientific books were first purchased for the library, turning it from a mere collection of books into a place of scientific research.
In 1920, when Austria became a Republic, the library was renamed as the Austrian National Library. Since 1945, the National Library has been expanded and renovated to accommodate growing space requirements. It has 7.4 million items, of which about three million are printed, and is Austria’s largest library. Besides collecting and archiving all publications appearing in Austria, as well as works by Austrians published abroad, the National Library also has a Map Collection and Globe Museum, a Papyrus Collection and Papyrus Museum, a Music Collection, and a collection of Incunabula (old and precious texts). |
