Austrian National Library in Vienna

The Austrian National Library, located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, is the publicly accessible, central academic library of the Republic of Austria. The reading rooms are situated on Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square), while the historical collections and administrative offices are accessible from the adjacent Josefsplatz (Joseph’s Square). Other departments are located in different parts of the Hofburg and in the Palais Mollard-Clary on Herrengasse. The Federal Chancellery is the responsible supervisory authority for the Austrian National Library. As the national library, it collects, among other things, the legal deposit copies of all printed works published or produced in Austria. This includes all doctoral dissertations approved by Austrian universities. Since July 2000, the collection of legal deposit copies has been expanded to include electronic media. The ANNO project also scans historical newspapers and periodicals and makes them available online. During the Austrian Empire, and from 1867 in Austria-Hungary, the library, as the Imperial and Royal Court Library, was one of the most comprehensive universal libraries in the world until the end of the First World War. Today, the collection’s focus lies in the humanities. As a federal museum, the Austrian National Library also includes five special collections: the State Hall, the Papyrus Museum, the Globe Museum, the Esperanto Museum, and the Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library, located in the listed former Imperial and Royal Court Chamber Archives at Johannesgasse 6 in Vienna’s 1st district. Building The State Hall was the first building constructed specifically for the Imperial Library; previously, the books were stored in the Minorite Monastery. Construction began in 1723 according to plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and was completed in 1726 by his son, Joseph Emanuel, after Fischer’s death. The sculptures on the facades are by Lorenzo Mattielli. The State Hall is divided into a war and a peace side, reflecting the original arrangement of the books, a division mirrored in the frescoes above by Daniel Gran. The fresco in the central dome depicts the apotheosis of Charles VI, whose portrait is held by Hercules and Apollo. Around the portrait of the emperor, a complex array of allegorical figures symbolizing the virtues of the Habsburgs and the wealth of their lands is arranged. The State Hall is considered one of the most beautiful historical library rooms in the world. The Imperial Library building houses statues of emperors by Peter and Paul Strudel and four globes by Vincenzo Coronelli. In 1735, Antonio Corradini created the statue of Charles VI as Holy Roman Emperor in the center of the State Hall. Opening hours Tuesday – Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Thursday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Closed on Mondays from October to May. Prices (State Hall) Adults: €12.00 Reduced: €10.00 Pensioners (+65): €10.50 Children (under 19): free How to get to? Near the Heldentor Royal Gate, there’s the Burgring tram stop (lines 1, 2, 71, and D). The Museumsquartier U2 station is an eight-minute walk away. The Michaelerplatz bus stop, served by lines 1A and 2A, is also a five-minute walk away. Address: Josefsplatz 1, 1010 Wien, Austria Coordinates: 48°12’22.1″N 16°22’00.5″E See also France travel guide Spain travel guide Catalonia travel guide Pyrenees travel guideThe post Austrian National Library in Vienna first appeared on All PYRENEES.