State Hall
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The State Hall of the National Library

Magnificent Baroque library

If you are standing in front of the entrance to the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, you can imagine how impressive the original detached structure must have been when the Imperial Court Library was erected in 1726. The front measures nearly 78 m and takes up the entire length of Josefsplatz.

The State Hall itself is an impressive example of Baroque secular architecture. The nearly 30 m high, central dome gives the space a 3-part structure. The ceiling frescoes are from court painter Daniel Gran (1694-1757). That of the dome is particularly impressive. It shows the apotheosis of Charles VI and the history of construction of the library in allegorical images.

But one has to enter the hall to get a real feel for the universal world view of the Baroque through the unified effect of architecture, painting and the bookcases made of fine walnut. On a side note, while architect Fischer von Erlach has the library building erected in only 3 years, the completion of the costly walnut interior furnishings takes more than twice as long.

Among the most valuable contents of the State Hall of the former Imperial Court Library is Prince Eugene of Savoy’s nearly 15,000-volume collection, the “Bibliotheca Eugeniana”, bought up after his death in 1737 and placed in the hall’s central oval.

After WW1 and the end of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the Imperial Court Library becomes the “National Library”. The addition of “Austrian” occurs after WW2 when the identity of Austria as an independent state enters public perception.

The Austrian National Library experiences its last big extension in 1966 when the new Main Reading Room is opened in the Neue Burg, accessible via Heldenplatz.

Today the State Hall of the Austrian National Library houses around 200,000 books from the years 1501 to 1850. With nearly 8 million books and artefacts the Austrian National Library is one of the most important libraries in the world.

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