Anniversary Exhibition 100 Years Old University Library
Exhibition at the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB), Exhibition Room of the Main Library in Erlangen
October 19–November 22, 2013
The “Old University Library” was turning 100. On November 4, 1913, the first library building at Universitätsstraße 4 was officially opened. To celebrate this milestone, the University Library was not displaying its usual collection of manuscripts and early prints. Instead, it presented selected items from its extensive collections. Who would expect to find engraved ostrich eggs, casts of ancient gems, oil paintings, drawings, prints, and coins from all over the world—from antiquity to the modern era—in a university library?
The exhibition traced the history of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and its library over the past three centuries. In the 18th century, the core collection was formed from books in the princely libraries of Bayreuth and Ansbach, while parts of the margrave’s natural history collections were used as visual aids for teaching.
Scholarly libraries document the state of 19th- and 20th-century research. In addition to the world-renowned Graphic Collection from Ansbach, the Luthardt Collection and works by individual artists reflect the different eras. The University Library preserves portraits of university professors, the oldest of which date back to the University of Altdorf. The University Library also boasts a treasure trove of some 30,000 coins and medals spanning from antiquity to modern times, a collection rarely found in a university library.
Most of these exhibits were being shown to the public for the first time.
Photo gallery for the exhibition
