On October 24, the "Day of Libraries" is celebrated throughout Germany. Time to visit the most beautiful German "houses of books". This is where reading meets architectural treasures.
Every year since 1995, "Library Day" has been held on October 24 throughout Germany. It was founded by the then Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker. Libraries have always been places of learning, encounters and cultural diversity. Many are also truly magnificent works of architecture. Reason enough for Falstaff TRAVEL to present some of the most beautiful "Houses of the Book" in Germany.
When Korean star architect Eun Young Yi designs a project, it often bears a futuristic signature. The " Stuttgart City Library", newly opened in 2011, appears comparatively simple at first glance: an almost square cube with eight floors. Its façade of glass blocks and concrete combines light and structure. Inside, the books are arranged in a quiet ring.
The baroque convent building was constructed between 1755 and 1763 by Jakob Emele and houses a special treasure: the magnificent library hall, a highlight of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. The late Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk combines painting, sculpture and stucco - crowned by Franz Georg Hermann's ceiling fresco, which depicts the monastery library as the "Seat of Wisdom".
Completed in 1687, the library's book collection had already grown to 12,000 volumes by 1746. Today, the Abbey Library of Waldsassen Monastery is one of the most popular excursion destinations in the Upper Palatinate. A total of ten intricately carved wooden figures represent the different manifestations of arrogance: from stupidity to ignorance.
With its unique collection of technical and scientific literature, the Special Library for Technology and Natural Sciences in Hanover is the largest of its kind in the world. The architecture of the library itself is a mixture of round arch style and English Gothic. The reading room was completely renovated in 2024.
