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National and University Library

General Information

Beginning of works: 1889
Completion: 1894
Status: in use

Project Type

Function / usage: University library
Library

Location

Location: , , ,
Coordinates: 48° 35' 14" N    7° 45' 22" E
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Technical Information

There currently is no technical data available.

Case Studies and Applied Products

Creative designs for floating cupola

Creative designs for floating cupola

In France, numerous major buildings are located on the Place de la République. In Strasbourg, one of these is very large and circular in shape. It is surrounded by the Prefecture of the Département, the Ministry of Culture and Communicat ... [more]

Excerpt from Wikipedia

The National and University Library (French:Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire; abbreviated BNU) is a public library in Strasbourg, France. It is located on Place de la République, the former Kaiserplatz, and faces the Palais du Rhin.

History

After the destruction of the municipal library and the city's archives by Prussian artillery during the Siege of Strasbourg, the German Empire founded the BNU on 19 June 1872. The task of arranging ist collections was given to historian and professor, Rodolphe Reuss.

It became the regional library for the Reichsland Alsace-Lorraine, as, according to German tradition, every region should have at least one library. It was also an Academic library.

The collections grew quickly, thanks principally to donations from all across Europe and the United States. But, even in spite of these generous donations, many priceless manuscripts, such as the Hortus Deliciarum had been destroyed and could never be replaced.

The present-day building, which is a work of architects August Hartel and Skjold Neckelmann, was opened in 1895.

After the territory of Alsace-Lorraine had been reverted to France following World War I, the question arose as to whether or not this library should be renovated and reopened. After some hesitation, the French government decided to keep the library.

The library now holds about 3,000,000 volumes, which is the second largest collection in France. The collection contains, amongst other things, ca. 2,300 incunabula, 6.700 manuscripts (plus 29,000 others from the archives – kept by the library – of the De Turckheim family, and several other thousands from the Alsatian Franciscan order) and 5,200 papyri.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "National and University Library" and modified on 03 June 2020 according to the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.

Participants

Architecture

Relevant Web Sites

  • About this
    data sheet
  • Structure-ID
    20016787
  • Published on:
    08/07/2005
  • Last updated on:
    29/07/2014
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