Duchess Anna Amalia Library, Weimar, TH
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DerAcubens
N 50° 58.710 E 011° 19.917
32U E 663698 N 5650022
The Duchess Anna Amalia Library (German: Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek) in Weimar, Thuringia, Germany, houses a major collection of German literature and historical documents and a hall in the rococo-style.
Waymark Code: WM954K
Location: Thüringen, Germany
Date Posted: 06/30/2010
Views: 32
The Duchess Anna Amalia Library is named for Anna Amalia, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who arranged in 1766 for the courtly (hoefische) book collection to be moved into the library.
The main building is the Green Castle (Grünes Schloss), Anna's residence, which had been built between 1562 and 1565. The dowager Duchess had the building converted into a library in 1761. The Duchess, seeking a tutor for her son Duke Carl August, hired Christoph Martin Wieland, an important poet and noted translator of William Shakespeare. Wieland's Shakespeare volumes formed the core of the collection. From an architectural standpoint, the library is world famous for its oval Rococo hall featuring a portrait of Grand Duke Carl August.
Work on the Extension, June 2002One of the library's most famous patrons was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who worked there from 1797 to 1832. The library also includes the world's largest Faust collection. The Duchess's significant 13,000-volume music collection is also available in the library.
In World War II, most of the collection was housed elsewhere to preserve it from Allied bombing.
Today, the library is a public research library for literature and art history. The main focus is German literature from the Classical and the late Romantic eras.
Part of the collection was burned in a fire on 2 September 2004, which destroyed 50,000 volumes of which 12,500 are considered irreplaceable. Another 62,000 volumes were severely damaged. However, some 6,000 historical works were saved, including the 1534 Lutheran Bible and a collection of Alexander von Humboldt's papers, by being passed hand-over-hand out of the building. 28,000 books in the building were not affected by the fire. Other items, like Friedrich Schiller's death mask suffered damage, too, and 35 historic oil paintings were destroyed.
The library building was restored for $18.2 million and reopened at the end of October 2007 with some 60,000 volumes. This includes the unaffected books, the first restored books and replacements which have been obtained on the international antique book market, from other libraries, or were donated.
Close to the public library there is also an academic part of the library. It's between the public one and the city hall.
Classification of Library: Public Library (Open to all)
Internet access available: No - Internet Access is not available here
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday - Sunday: 10 am - 3 pm (single visitors)
Tuesday - Sunday: 3 pm - 5 pm (declared groups)
cashpoint:
9.30 am - 2.30 pm (just day tickets)
Approximate date of opening.: 10/31/2007
Library Website: [Web Link]
Additional Internet Connection Options: Not listed
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