Large and small library

A special relic of the past

The large library hall inspires with frescoes by Melchior Steidl, which he created at the end of the 17th century. The elliptical main picture shows the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple discussing with the scribes. The depictions of the four Church Fathers, early Christian writers who made a decisive contribution to the doctrine and self-understanding of Christianity, adjoin the central main picture. On one side is Pope George the Great, opposite St Jerome. St. Augustine and St. Ambrose are on the other sides of the hall.

Next to Jerome are the three young men Altmann, Gebhard and Adalbero with the monasteries they founded: Göttweig, Admont and Lambach. Opposite is Mary with the Child Jesus, to whom Adalbero is offering the model of the Lambach church.

The Lambach library also houses one of the last surviving reading wheels from the 18th century. This unique piece from 1730 shows the abbey, convent and staff coat of arms of the abbot at the time, Gotthard Haslinger.

This reading desk in the large library of Lambach Abbey is indeed special: it is an invention of Agostino Ramelli, an Italian engineer from the 16th century. This is a rotating reading desk. It allows the simultaneous reading of up to twelve folios. The user places the individual books on one of the desks, which are arranged like gondolas on a Ferris wheel. By turning the wheel, one switches between the books. In total, there are only 14 of these book wheels left. In Austria, another one is kept at Klosterneuburg Abbey.

In the small library, an almost square hall right next to the large library, frescoes show allegories, symbols of science as well as scenes from antiquity. The depiction of an early plan of the Trinity Chapel, before the Linz master builder Prunner redesigned the plan based on suggestions by the Italian master builder Borromini, is also noteworthy here.