Abbey library of St. Gallen

The Abbey Library of St. Gallen was founded by Irish monk St. Gallus in 612.

It is the oldest library in Switzerland, and one of earliest and most important monastic libraries in the world. It holds 2,100 manuscripts dating back to the 8th through the 15th centuries, 1,650 incunabulums (printed before 1500), and old-printed books. The library holds almost 160,000 volumes. The manuscript B of the Nibelungenlied is kept here.

The library books are available for public use, but the books printed before 1900 must be read in the Reading Room.

The library hall in a baroque style is considered the most beautiful non-sacred room of this style in Switzerland and one of the most perfect library halls around the world.

In 1983 the library together with the Abbey of St. Gall were made a World Heritage Site, as "a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery".

A virtual library was created to provide access to the manuscripts — Codices Electronici Sangallenses. Currently 174 manuscripts are preserved in digital format.

See also

* Abbey of St. Gall
*
* List of World Heritage Sites in Europe

External links

*
* [http://www.stiftsbibliothek.ch Stiftsbibliothek Sankt Gallen]
* [http://www.cesg.unifr.ch/en/index.htm Codices Electronici Sangallenses] — project for the digitisation of the medieval manuscripts at St. Gallen

Bibliography

* Beat Matthias von Scarpatetti: "Die Handschriften der Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen. Codices 547–669. Hagiographica, Historica, Geographica 8.–18. Jahrhundert." Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2003, ISBN 978-3-447-04716-6.
* Beat Matthias von Scarpatetti: "Die Handschriften der Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen. Codices 1726–1984 (14.–19. Jahrhundert). Beschreibendes Verzeichnis." Verlag am Klosterhof, St. Gallen 1983, ISBN 978-3-906616-02-5.