Leipzig University Library

The University Library of Leipzig, also called Bibliotheca Albertina, is the central library of the University of Leipzig. Its director is since January 2005 Ulrich Johannes Schneider.

History

The library was created during the Reformation period, as the Leipzig Dominican monastery of St. Pauli was dissolved. Meanwhile, land and buildings fell in 1543 by gift of Alberti former Duke Moritz of Saxony at the University of Leipzig. In one of these buildings, the Mittelpaulinum, the book collections of several monasteries were merged. So the foundation of the library was built.

As librarians of particular importance are: Joachim Feller ( librarian from 1675) as the editor of a printed manuscript catalog, Christian Gottlieb yokes ( librarian 1742-1758 ) as the initiator of an alphabetical complete catalog and Ernst Gotthelf Gersdorf ( 1833 first full-time Director of the library ), which reorganized the library according to scientific principles.

Due to the strong increase of the books and periodicals, including through the acquisition of the Goethe collection of the publisher Salomon Hirzel, but especially by the rising publishing production in the 19th century, a move to a larger building was needed. 1891 moved into the library a new building in Beethoven Street, which had been inaugurated built according to designs by Arwed Rossbach 's Renaissance and on January 2, 1891. After the lords King Albert of Saxony of the new Bibliotheca Albertina was called.

During the Second World War, the main building was destroyed in the Beethoven Street during air raids on Leipzig to two -thirds. The catalogs and stocks were, however, outsourced and remained intact. After the war, only the undamaged left wing was used. For a reconstruction of the main building were missing for decades the financial means. Only after the turn began in 1994 the elaborate restoration and expansion of the library, including reconstruction of individual parts of the building, which was completed in 2002. Here, the ruins of the right wing ( basement level ) was removed, excavated a second basement, and the facade - despite considerable additional costs - faithfully rebuilt (see picture above, remembered today only a small expansion of it).

Today, the Bibliotheca Albertina is used as the main library, humanities Central Library and Archives Library of the University of Leipzig.

In addition to the main library in the Beethoven Street to the university library include a total of 22 branches in faculties and institutes.

Among the stocks are over 5 million volumes, 5.2 million media units and 7,200 current periodicals. Of these, about 200,000 volumes in open access areas available in which 780 reading places are available. The library also has a number of special collections, including about 8,700 manuscripts, of which about 3,200 in the Special Collection ( Oriental manuscripts ), about 3,600 incunabula, prints of the 16th century and about 173,000 autographs. There is also a significant papyrus and Ostrakasammlung. Among the stocks belonging to the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical treatises ever ( about 1525 BC) or the Leipzig World Chronicle, the remains of the oldest surviving World Chronicle ( AD 2nd century BC)

Since 1998, the library is also responsible for special collections in communication and media studies, journalism, history of medicine and the natural sciences, bioethics and ethics in medicine.

2010, the Library by Brigitte Schellenberger - Tübke, wife of the Leipzig artist Tübke, 12 sketchbooks of her husband and a number of diaries has been paid. The sketchbooks were presented the sketch books in the University Library in the exhibition Tübke 2011.

Former Leaders

• Christian Daniel Beck
• Ludwig Krehl 1874 - 1892
• Oskar von Gebhardt 1901 - 1906
• Karl Boysen 1906 - 1921
• Otto Glauning 1922 - 1937
• Karl Buchheim 1946 - 1949
• Helmut Mogk 1950 - 1958

Film

The short film shadows, realized by students of the University of Leipzig, playing in the University Library of Leipzig and in 2005 was turned into the rooms of the main building.

Exhibitions

• 2010: Leipzig Judaisms in city and university designed by John Schneider; ditto: exhibition catalog
• 2011: Tübke: The sketchbooks; < Exhibition catalog.
• 2012: The economist and newspaper watchers Karl books. The Leipzig years, no catalog, just a booklet with exhibition texts and a facsimile.