Books, scriptures and architecture
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The library's main hall is considered the most beautiful Baroque construction in Switzerland that is not a church. swiss-image -
The library is open to the public as well as researchers and is also used as a museum and for exhibitions. RDB -
"Soulwarmer", installation by Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger, 2005. Keystone -
"Leichnam Jesu im Grab" (Body of Jesus in tomb), a 17th century copy of Hans Holbein the Younger's earlier painting. EQ Images -
The library is home to countless manuscripts, incunabula (documents printed before 1501) and books. RDB -
The new library ladder by local designer Felix Ebneter. Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen -
The heart of the library is its collection of manuscripts. RDB -
First letter of the 71st psalm from the famous Folcharit psalm book that was written and reproduced in the ninth century. RDB -
Stucco details in the writing cabinet renovated in 2010. Keystone -
Inlays in a cupboard in the writing cabinet: Venus and Adonis (left), Pan and Apollo. Keystone -
Another cupboard detail. Keystone -
In 1712, Zurich troops stole this earth and sky globe from the library, provoking a dispute about its ownership that lasted until 2006. The original, dating back to 1570, has remained at the national museum in Zurich, while a copy is now in St Gallen. Keystone -
The copy, which took 7,000 man-hours to put together, has been on view since 2009. Keystone
St Gallen Abbey houses the oldest library in Switzerland. It is considered one of the most beautiful cloister librairies in the world and, along with whole abbey area, became a World Heritage site in 1983.
This content was published on May 9, 2012 - 11:00
The abbey itself was founded in in 612, and the first records of a library date back to 820. In the following centuries, the abbey became a cultural centre famous for its writings and the illumination of manuscripts. The Baroque hall was built between 1758 and 1767. Today, the library contains 2,100 manuscripts, 1,650 incunabula (documents printed before 1501) and 170,000 books.
(Pictures: Keystone, RDB, swiss-image, Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen, EQ Images)
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