State Library (Berlin). State Library in Berlin

The Old Library is a building in the center of Berlin that previously housed the Royal (and now State) Library.

The visiting card of Berlin for 300 years has been the Unter den Linden boulevard - here are located architectural monuments created by geniuses of the distant past. This and Old library, storing over 7 million volumes of books, and the Zeichhaus building, and the New Fire Tower, the Lustgarten Museum and the State Opera House. At the end of the boulevard stands the world-famous Brandenburg Gate - a triumphal arch that has become one of the symbols of Berlin.

The old library is located in the administrative district of Mitte on the Unter den Linden boulevard and the adjacent Bebel Square, the former Opera Square. The Baroque building was erected in 1775-1780. designed by the Austrian architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach by the Prussian architect Georg Christian Unger. Since 1914, the Old Library has housed the Humboldt University Law Faculty. Next to the Old Library is the unusual Cathedral of St. Hedwig

The old library was built by order of Frederick the Great. Thanks to the Old Library, literature, which had previously been the exclusive privilege of the nobility, ministers and high government officials, became accessible to the bourgeoisie. To this day, the building’s portal bears the Latin inscription “nutrimentum spiritus” - “food for the soul.”

In 1784, the new building received 150 thousand volumes of the “Electoral Library of Cologne on the Spree” founded by Friedrich Wilhelm, which since 1661 was located in the pharmacy wing of the Berlin City Palace, and in 1701 received the name “Royal Library of Berlin”. The library contained manuscripts of such outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment as Kant, Leibniz, Diderot, Rousseau and Voltaire. Against Old library there is another cultural institution - the Berlin National Opera

By the beginning of the 19th century. The Royal Library has become the largest and most efficient library institution in the German-speaking area. The constantly growing collections amounted to about 1.2 million volumes in 1905, and a need arose for new space. In 1914, the library was moved to the building at Unter den Linden 8, and from 1918 it received the name “Prussian State Library”. Since 1990, its successor is the “State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage”, which has become the largest universal library in Germany (10 million volumes).

In its appearance, the Old Library resembles the Michaelertrakt of the Vienna Hofburg: Frederick the Great ordered Unger to copy the Viennese project. However, in Vienna itself, the project, which was already 50 years old at that time, was implemented in a slightly modified form only in 1889-1893. Thus a historical curiosity arose: the Berlin copy is a hundred years older than its Viennese original.

For more than two hundred years Old library Berliners have the nickname “chest of drawers”. During World War II, the building was seriously damaged and was restored.

All the buildings on Bebelplatz have blue roofs and domes, so finding them on Google Maps is not that difficult)

The library was founded in 1661 by Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg as the "Elector Library of Cologne on the Spree". In 1701, in Prussia, it was renamed by Frederick I as the “Royal Library of Berlin”. The fall of the monarchical regime in Germany after the end of the First World War caused a new name change. Thus, since 1918 the library was called the “Prussian State Library”.

During the Second World War, the collections, amounting to approximately 3 million volumes and including important publications of a non-literary nature, were almost completely transported to the German Empire. They were distributed among 30 mining enterprises, monasteries and castles in the east and west. The library lost 800,000 volumes. Much was captured by the Soviet or Polish army as trophies. "Moscow is the headquarters of Berlin's treasures in Russia."

After 1945, the division of Germany was announced, as well as the division of the library's collections. Two Institutes related to the Prussian Library were founded in the Eastern and Western parts of Germany. In East Berlin - the German State Library, in West Berlin - the State Library of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. After the reunification of Germany, on January 1, 1992, both organizations were united under the name “State Library of Berlin - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation”, turned into one library occupying two buildings, and were included in this foundation.
Building
Until 1780, the library was located in the former pharmacy wing of the Berlin City Castle.
“Chest of drawers” ​​on Opera Square (1780 – 1913)

Built in 1780, the building is located in the western part of Bebelplatz, the former Opera Square. It was intended for the Royal Library, whose holdings then numbered 150,000 volumes. Due to its large size, Berliners affectionately called the Old Library “the Chest of Drawers” ​​for almost two hundred years. The building, located on Unter den Linden, was built according to the plans of Georg Christian Unger. The basis of this plan was the design of the Austrian architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, because the Old Library strongly resembles the Michaelertrak building of Vienna's Hofburg palace complex (1889). Today the "Chest of Drawers" houses the Faculty of Law of the Humboldt University of Berlin. Royal Library in 1913-1914. moved to the opposite building at Unter den Linden 8, built specifically for the library and its collections. Today it is one of two large buildings of the Berlin State Library.
One library in two buildings (since 1914)

Since 1914: Unter den Linden building. The site later grew into a historical research library. The largest building in the center of Berlin, 170 m long and 107 m wide, was built from 1903 to 1914. for the Royal Library, designed by the architect and palace builder Ernst von Inne. In 1944, as a result of hostilities, it lost its functional and architectural center, the Dome Hall.

Since 2000, the building has been reconstructed and supplemented with new extensions: a central reading room, a free access book depository, a secure book depository, a rare literature reading room and public areas. According to the plan of the März organization carrying out the construction, it will continue until 2009. In parallel, a major reconstruction of the old building and the passage connecting the old and new buildings is being carried out. By 2012 all work should be completed.

Building on Potsdamer Street (1978). This place later became the Library of Modernity. The powerful "book ship" is part of Berlin's cultural heritage; it was erected in 1967-1968. designed by the architect Hans Scharoun. After his death in 1972, the construction was completed by his student Edgar Wisniewski. The spatial composition of the structure embodies openness and unity. The State Library building is also familiar to the general public from the film “Sky over Berlin” by Wim Wenders, which received a number of awards.

In 2010, another premises in the Friedrichshagen district will be used as a book depository. It will become the central warehouse of the State Library.

The State Library of Berlin houses literature and documents representing all fields of science, languages, times and countries, with an emphasis on the humanities and social spheres. The State Library of Berlin has at its disposal the largest collection of periodical literature among all German libraries; in 1993, a specialized periodicals department was opened.

The funds are mostly stored in book depositories. To find and order the book you need, you need to use the electronic catalog. Every citizen over 18 years of age can use the collections of the State Library completely free of charge.

In the library's holdings one can find, among other things, 320,000 original manuscripts of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Goethe and Kleist, 200,000 rare printed editions of the early Ming era and the oldest printed edition of the world from Japan 764 and 770, 41,600 Eastern and 18,000 Western European manuscripts, among them are medieval copies dating back to the beginning of the modern era, 1400 archives of Herder, Eichendorv, Hauptmann, Bonhoeffer and Grundens; collections of German printed publications from 1871-1912, 66,000 music recordings, 4,400 first-printed books, a collection of bindings, Mendelssohn's archive and about a million maps and plans.

Treasures of world culture and national cultural heritage are hidden here, including the world's largest collection of works by Mozart, 80% of old manuscripts of Johann Sebastian Bach, the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, Boccaccio's Decameron, the text of the German National Anthem, handwritten by Hoffmann von Fallerslebens , one of the rarest printed editions of Martin Luther's 95 Propositions, manuscripts of famous scholars and historical newspapers from around the world. Most of the funds transported during the Second World War to the Grüssau monastery in Schlesin were given to the Poles as trophies and have not been returned to this day. The collection, called the Berlinka and housed in the Krakow Library, contains approximately 300,000 volumes of valuable medieval manuscripts, including Martin Luther and Goethe, Schiller's doctoral dissertation, and a unique collection of original musical scores by Beethoven and Mozart.
Specialized funds

Virtual specialized libraries: legal sciences, East and South Asia, Slavic studies and online history as a section of the Clio-online system.
Weak spots

All casualties from World War II are still not fully recorded, which is why catalogs often contain the phrase “possibly lost during the war.” It happens that the catalog does not even indicate the name of the work, but the number (name) of the shelf. This, of course, raises questions. In rare cases, in order to place an order for a book from the main fund, you need to fill out a special form manually. When ordering from remote funds, forms are filled out on a typewriter. A returned book cannot be ordered or re-reserved for a week due to the time it takes to send it back. Often the system does not provide reliable information about the availability of literature, and instead of an ordered book, a hand-written note arrives from the storage facility. Orders cannot be placed on weekends and holidays due to the large influx of visitors. Before the order arrives, no reminders are sent by email, but immediately after the end of the period for using the book, a notice of the need to pay a fine is sent by mail.

Reading rooms are not only crowded during peak hours; Not all reading areas in both buildings are equipped with sockets. You can use the Internet, as well as online databases, only on machines designed for this purpose. There is no wireless LAN and the photocopiers are very old. Digitization of data is possible only by prior order.

Berlin State Library(German: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, full name - Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage(German) Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz), previously Prussian State Library- German Preußische Staatsbibliothek) is the largest scientific universal library in the territory of distribution of the German language, and is one of the institutions of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. The library's collection contains scientific literature covering all historical eras, all countries and all languages, designed to satisfy the most sophisticated needs of researchers.

Story

The Chest of Drawers now houses the Humboldt University School of Law. In 1914, the Royal Library moved to a new building at Unter den Linden 8, which is now one of the two main buildings of the Berlin State Library.

Library in two buildings (since 1914)

Building on Unter den Linden - since 1914

The library on Unter den Linden developed as a center for historical research. The largest historical building in the district of Mitte, 170 m long and 107 m wide, was erected in -1914 for the Royal Library according to the design of the architect and court architect Ernst von Ine. In 1944, the functional and architectural center of the building, the Dome Hall, was destroyed. Since 2000, the building has been reconstructed with the simultaneous construction of new structures: the main reading room, an open access book depository, safe book depositories, a reading room for rare publications and public premises. Completion of work on the HG Merz project is scheduled for 2009. The simultaneous renovation work in the historical building and the unification of all buildings into a single library complex in 2012 will create all the technical prerequisites for conducting library business at the most modern level.

Building on Potsdamer Street - since 1978

Library on Potsdamer street(German: Potsdamer Straße) developed into a modern library. The massive book ship on the territory of the Berlin Kulturforum was built according to the design of the architect Hans Scharoun in 1978. After Sharun's death in 1972, the construction of the building was completed by his student Edgar Wisniewski. This building of the State Library is known to the general public thanks to the Wim Wenders film “Sky over Berlin”.

In 2010, an additional book depository building for official use will be put into operation in the Friedrichshagen district of Berlin.

Funds

The collections of the Berlin State Library contain documents on all scientific disciplines, in a wide variety of languages, relating to different eras and countries, with specialization in psychology and social sciences. Search and order are carried out using the electronic catalogue. Access to the funds is open to persons over 18 years of age.

The Berlin State Library houses the greatest treasures of world culture: the largest collection of manuscripts of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 80% of all autographs of Johann Sebastian Bach, the 5th and 9th symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, “The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio, the text of the German national anthem in manuscript August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, one of the especially rare editions of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, autographs and original manuscripts of famous scientists and historical newspapers from around the world.

Some of the funds exported during World War II ended up in Poland after the end of the war. The meeting, called "Berlinka" includes about 300 thousand volumes of the most valuable medieval manuscripts, autographs (including Martin Luther and

The library in Berlin has a long history of its development and, accordingly, many names, it was both Imperial and Prussian state, there were other names. Today, the words “Prussian Cultural Heritage” are always added to the official name of the Library.

Library foundation

In 1661, the Elector of Brandenburg, Friedrich Wilhelm, founded the first public library in Prussia. In 1701, the Library received the name of the Royal Library in Berlin; after World War I, the Library was renamed again. Now it is the Prussian State Library.

Until 1780, the State Library occupied the building of the apothecary wing on the territory of the Berlin City Palace; only representatives of the imperial family and the highest nobility had access to folios and books. At that time, the library collection consisted of about 150 thousand copies of books.

State Library during World War II and until 1991

To save the national heritage, which already included more than three million copies and special collections, during the war the library's funds were hidden in mines and monasteries. In the post-war years, the division of the German lands occurred, it also affected the Prussian State Library, from which two separate collections were formed, in East Berlin and West Berlin. This division lasted until the beginning of January 1992, following the reunification of the German lands, the separated library collections were united and transferred to the department of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the united library included the name of the Foundation in the name, which is preserved today.

New Library on Potsdamer Street (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin)

Historically, after the merger of two libraries from East and West Berlin into one, the premises on Unter den Linden mainly housed historical volumes, ancient copies, including the period up to the beginning of the 19th century, the premises on Potsdamer Street were given over to more modern scientific literature.
The new library is located in the building of the Cultural Forum, which needs to be discussed separately.

Cultural forum

The modern complex of Kulturforum buildings brings together many of the cultural attractions of modern Berlin, including the Berlin Philharmonic, two museums of art and musical instruments, two art galleries, the Chamber Hall and others. All these establishments, despite the fact that they are part of a common complex, are completely independent of each other.

Construction of the complex in West Berlin began in the late 50s next to the Berlin Wall, behind which many cultural treasures remained in East Berlin. The Kulturforum has become a cultural symbol of West Berlin. The art gallery became the last object in the complex; its construction was completed in 1998.
In 1967, the architect Hans Scharoun designed the State Library building in the form of a huge book ship, the construction of which was completed 11 years later, in 1978. This large-scale building is known to many from the film “Sky over Berlin” directed by Wim Wenders.

Today the library has a reading room with 910 seats, the book collection of the New Library amounts to more than 5.4 million volumes. The library occupies 10 floors, two of them underground.

Opening hours of the New Library Library

Monday – Friday 9:00 – 21:00
Saturday 9:00 – 19:00

How to get to Kulturforum:

Address: Potsdamer Straße 33, 10785 Berlin
Metro U2 (Potsdamer Platz)
S-bahn S1, S2, S25 (Potsdamer Platz)
bus M29 (Potsdamer Brücke); M41 (Potsdamer Platz Bhf / Voßstraße); M48, M85 (Kulturforum); 200 (Philharmonie)

Travel ticket for travel on all types of public transport (6.30 € - 6.80 €), valid for 24 hours.

The library was founded in 1661 by the Elector of Brandenburg, Friedrich Wilhelm. In 1701, Frederick I renamed it Royal Library in Berlin. After the overthrow of the monarchy in Germany at the end of the First World War, the library became known as Prussian State Library.

During the Second World War, the library's collections, which at that time included about three million volumes and impressive special collections, were almost completely removed and hidden in mines, monasteries and castles. After the partition of Germany in 1945, two institutions emerged from the Prussian State Library: German State Library in East Berlin and State Library of Prussian Cultural Heritage in West Berlin. Following the reunification of Germany on January 1, 1992, the library's holdings, housed in two buildings, were entrusted to the management of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation under the name "State Library in Berlin - Prussian Cultural Heritage".

"Chest of drawers" on Opera Square (1780-1913)

About 1780, the library was located in the apothecary wing of the Berlin City Palace. The library, whose collection at that time numbered 150 thousand volumes, received its own building in the western part of the square, previously Opera Square(German) Opernplatz) on . Because of its curved shapes, Berliners have lovingly called the Old Library building “the chest of drawers” ​​for more than two hundred years. The architect of the building, Georg Christian Unger, based his creation on the design of the Austrian architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, which explains its similarity to the style of A.

The Chest of Drawers now houses the Humboldt University Law School. In 1913-1914, the Royal Library moved to a new building at Unter den Linden 8, which is still one of the two main buildings of the State Library in Berlin.

Building on Unter den Linden - since 1914

The library on Unter den Linden developed as a center for historical research. The largest historical building in the district of Mitte, 170 m long and 107 m wide, was erected in 1903-1914 for the Royal Library according to the design of the architect and court architect Ernst von Ine. In 1944, the functional and architectural center of the building, the Dome Hall, was destroyed. Since 2000, the building has been reconstructed with the simultaneous construction of new structures: the main reading room, an open access book depository, safe book depositories, a reading room for rare publications and public premises. Completion of work on the HG Merz project is scheduled for 2009. The simultaneous renovation work in the historical building and the unification of all buildings into a single library complex in 2012 will create all the technical prerequisites for conducting library business at the most modern level.

Building on Potsdamer Street - since 1978

Library on Potsdamer street(German) Potsdamer Straße) has turned into a modern library. The massive book ship on the territory of the Berlin A was built according to the design of the architect Hans Scharoun in 1967-1978. After Sharun's death in 1972, the construction of the building was completed by his student Edgar Wisniewski. This building of the State Library is known to the general public thanks to the Wim Wenders film “Sky over Berlin”.

In 2010, an additional book depository building for official use will be put into operation in the Friedrichshagen district of Berlin.

Funds

The collections of the State Library of Berlin contain documents on all scientific disciplines, in a wide variety of languages, relating to different eras and countries, with specialization in psychology and social sciences. Search and order are carried out using the electronic catalogue. Access to the funds is open to persons over 18 years of age.

The Berlin State Library houses the greatest treasures of world culture: the largest collection of manuscripts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 80% of all autographs of Johann Sebastian Bach, the 5th and 9th symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, “The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio, the text of the German national anthem in manuscript August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, one of the especially rare editions of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, autographs and original manuscripts of famous scientists and historical newspapers from around the world.

Some of the funds exported during World War II ended up in Russia after the end of the war. The meeting, called "Berlinka" includes about 300 thousand volumes of the most valuable medieval manuscripts, autographs (including Martin Luther and Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Schiller's doctoral dissertation and a musical collection - scores of most works by Beethoven and Mozart).

The State Library stores about 320 thousand autographs, including those of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Goethe and Heinrich von Kleist, 200 thousand rare printed editions, including the early Ming era and the oldest printed edition of the world from Japan 764 and 770, 41,600 oriental and 18,000 manuscripts created in the Middle Ages and early modern period in Europe, 1,400 original manuscripts, including Johann Gottfried Herder, Joseph von Eichendorff, Gerhart Hauptmann, Carl Bonhoeffer and Gustaf Gründgens; a collection of German printed publications from 1871-1912, 66 thousand original musical manuscripts, 4,400 early printed publications and about one million maps and drawings.