Royal State Library (Stuttgart)

Royal State Library, front: Neckarstrasse with horse-drawn tram, back: Justice building, right: State Archives, 1886.

The Royal State Library in Stuttgart goes back to the Ducal Public Library founded by Duke Carl Eugen in 1765 and has been renamed several times: 1803 as Electoral Public Library , 1806 as Royal Public Library , 1901 as Royal State Library and 1921 as Württemberg State Library .

The library was located in Ludwigsburg until 1777, then in Stuttgart. Here she was housed in the manor house until 1820 and in the invalids' house until 1886. From 1878 to 1886, according to plans by Theodor von Landauer, a new building was built in the neo-renaissance style, which contemporaries praised as an exemplary library building of “beautiful monumentality”. The sculptor Adolf von Donndorf created the rich decoration of the facade.

The library was partially destroyed in 1943, partially rebuilt after the war, demolished in 1970 and replaced by a modern new building on the same site.

location

City map of Stuttgart, 1884, with the library between the “Royal Residence” and the “Palace of Justice”.

The building of the Royal State Library was at Neckarstrasse 8, today Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse 8, at the point where the library extension has been built since 2016, between the cross streets Ulrichstrasse and Archivstrasse. The building was surrounded by other public buildings and a factory:

• The library's neighbors on the other side of Neckarstrasse were the Hohe Karlsschule (today “Akademiegarten”) and the New Palace (both referred to as the “Royal Residence” on the city map).

• Side neighbors to Charlotte Square towards the building were with the State Archives and the Natural History Collection (at the same location is now the Central State Archive ) and next to it the Wilhelmspalais .

• On the other side, on Ulrichstrasse, where the House of Representatives and the House of History are today, the Schiedmayer piano factory had been located since 1821 , the vicinity of which was feared because of the factory noise and possible fire hazard.

• Behind the building, on the other side of Urbanstrasse, was the judicial building (referred to as the “Palace of Justice” on the city map) with the Higher Regional Court , the Regional Court and the District Court .

description

The Stuttgart architect and chief building officer Theodor von Landauer designed the library and the judicial building, which he also built, in the neo-renaissance style . Typical are the balanced symmetry of the palatial building, the rich use of columns, blind pillars, arched windows and window roofs, the rustication of the façades of the two lower floors, the corner blocks of the risalites and the rich decoration of the façade with reliefs and capitals by the Stuttgart sculptor Adolf von Donndorf .

In contrast to the building of the Württemberg State Library, the library building was set back only ten meters from Neckarstrasse. The resulting open space was designed as a park-like, latticed front garden. Two symmetrically laid out arched entrances, a flight of stairs and a ramp, led to the main entrance of the building. While today the library and the main state archive reside at an awe-inspiring distance from the inhospitable “city motorway” of the B10 , at that time they were within reach for the public strolling by. The extension, which has been under construction since 2016, is intended to give the former Neckarstrasse back at least a little of its former boulevard character.

The library consisted of two buildings, the main building and the administration building, which had a T-shape in plan. The main building stretched 99 meters along Neckarstrasse and ended with the two cross streets Ulrichstrasse and Archivstrasse. The almost square administration building had an edge length of 30 meters and was connected to the central part of the main building via an intermediate building.

Library, facade on Neckarstrasse.

Library, first floor plan.

View from Archivstrasse to the administration building. Left: intermediate building with transition to the main building.

The long main building consisted of a central building that was connected to the corner buildings via two wings. Central and corner buildings had a maximum depth of 26 meters and divided the building with projections and recesses ( risalites ). A possible later extension to a three-wing system by extending the corner buildings at the rear was considered, but not implemented. The 25 meter high building stretched over three floors:

• The 3.70 meter high basement was reserved for the lapidary of the Roman stone monuments and the lithographic stones of the national survey.

• The 5 meter high ground floor accommodated the Württemberg antiquity collection.

• The 9.80 high main floor was intended for the storage of books. The four mezzanines connected by metal stairs were equipped with bookshelves and offered space for around 300,000 books.

In the main building, unlike in the administration building, no artificial lighting was installed due to the risk of fire. Rather, the rooms were provided with abundant natural light from 30 mighty arched windows (9.60 × 4 meters) and a skylight above the central corridor.

The lending room was located in the intermediate building that connected the main building with the administration building. The two lower floors of the administration building were mainly reserved for fuel stores, apartments and workshops. A grand staircase led to the first floor with the reading rooms, the catalog room and the librarians' offices.

The two neo-renaissance buildings by Theodor von Landauer
Palace of Justice, built 1875–1879.	Library, built from 1878–1886.

history

prehistory

The Royal State Library goes back to the Ducal Public Library founded by Duke Carl Eugen in 1765 and has been renamed several times. When the future King Friedrich was made electoral prince in 1803, the library was named the Electoral Public Library , and after his appointment as King in 1806, the name of the Royal Public Library . In 1901 the name was shortened to Königliche Landesbibliothek , and after the abolition of the monarchy in 1921 it was converted to Württembergische Landesbibliothek .

The library was located in Ludwigsburg until 1777, then in Stuttgart. Here she was housed in the manor house until 1820 and in the invalids' house until 1886. Both houses were unsuitable for accommodating a library due to the lack of space and the high fire hazard of the wooden structures.

construction

More than a century passed until, from 1878 to 1886, a new stone building in the neo-renaissance style was finally built behind the Invalidenhaus according to plans by Theodor von Landauer . Adolf von Donndorf and his students created the facade decorations between 1885 and 1888. In the following decades it turned out that the user areas were too small. In 1895 heating was installed, in 1910 elevators were installed, and in 1918 the main building was finally equipped with electric lighting.

War and post-war

During the Nazi era, air raid shelters were set up in the basement as early as 1937, which were supposed to offer protection for 60–70 people and were intended to hold 3000 books and particularly valuable works. During the war, some of the stocks were moved to satellite camps. In 1942 various windows on the ground floor were bricked up and in 1943 a reinforced concrete ceiling was put under the glass roof.

On the night of September 12th to 13th, 1944, the library building and the neighboring public buildings (State Archives / Natural History Cabinet, Justice Building, Wilhelmspalais) were largely destroyed in a heavy air raid on Stuttgart. The library burned out, but the surrounding walls and the central building remained almost undamaged. In addition to the material damage, there was also the loss of around 600,000 books and writings. The holdings of the external camps and the air raid shelter, also around 600,000 volumes, were preserved.

After the war, the building was partially restored. In 1970 the library moved to the completed new building behind the old building. The old building was demolished in 1970/1971 and an underground car park was built in its place. The unconditional demolition corresponded to the zeitgeist, many other war-damaged buildings met the same fate, for example the neighboring judicial building, of which the old district court at Archivstrasse 15A was preserved and repaired. Only a few remains of the rich facade decoration have been saved.

Facade decoration

Facade, right wing, with gusset reliefs, relief frieze and year medallion.

The sculptural decoration of the main facade facing Neckarstrasse was designed by the Stuttgart sculptor Adolf von Donndorf and executed by his students under his direction:

• 4 rectangular friezes on the corner buildings to illustrate the development of writing and printing
• 2 rectangular friezes on the central building with allegories of poetry and science
• 14 spandrel reliefs above the coupled columns of the windows on the main floor:

- 6 reliefs on the left wing with allegories of the humanities

- 6 reliefs on the right wing with allegories of the natural sciences

- 2 reliefs on the central building, with allegories of peace and war

• 4 round medallions on the corner buildings with the dates of the library's history
• 6 capitals of the risalites
• 4 unexecuted statues of Plato, Dante, Leibniz and Goethe on the ground floor of the corner buildings

Reliefs

Royal State Library, engraving by Heinrich Bültemeyer, 1883.
Red letters a – u = numbering of the reliefs.

Since the friezes and the spandrel reliefs were placed at a height of about 20 meters, they could hardly be seen from street level despite their height of 2.25 meters. In the following, the reliefs are designated by the letters a – u, based on Adolf von Donndorf's catalog raisonné by Ulrike Fuchs.

• 

  a

• 

  b

• 

  e

• 

  f

• 

  c

• 

  t

• 

  u

• 

  d

The four friezes of the corner buildings represented the development of writing and printing: a. an Egyptian scribe chiseling hieroglyphics, b. a Greek writing on a scroll of parchment, e. writing monks in the scriptorium and f. Gutenberg and the printing press. The friezes of the central building symbolized poetry (c) and science (d), the two half-gusset reliefs stood for peace (t) and victory (u).

• 

  G

• 

  H

• 

  i

• 

  k

• 

  l

• 

  m

• 

  n

• 

  O

• 

  p

• 

  q

• 

  r

• 

  s

The 12 spandrel reliefs on the two wings "are intended to illustrate the spiritual treasures that have been collected in this library from all branches of knowledge". The 6 reliefs on the left wing should indicate the provisions kept ready for the spiritual and spiritual need for food: g. Piety, h. Scholarship to God, i. Art scholarship, k. History, l. Legal scholarship, m. Wisdom. The 6 reliefs on the right wing were dedicated to the natural sciences: n. Spiritual power overcomes nature, o. Research, p. Geography, q. Celestial science, r. Medicine, s. Science brings welfare.

The dates in the four round medallions under the friezes of the corner buildings indicate important milestones in the history of the library: 1765 founding of the Ducal Public Library by Duke Carl Eugen in Ludwigsburg, 1777 move to the manor house in Stuttgart, 1820 move to the present location in the Invalidenhaus and 1883 establishment of the Royal State Library at the same place.

remains

Gutenberg relief.

The fate that befell the majority of the intactly preserved architectural decorations on the main facade has not become publicly known. At least a frieze from the right corner building was recovered and is now on display in the Württemberg State Library. The Schönerungsverein Stuttgart rescued other components: the two friezes of the central building, two capitals, a corner cuboid and a fragment of a pillar that were erected on Europaplatz in Stuttgart.

Gutenberg frieze

In the Württemberg State Library, one of the six sandstone friezes is set up that once adorned the corners of the central and corner buildings of the Royal State Library on the main facade. The relief frieze "Gutenberg and the printing press" was attached to the right corner building and is now in a wall niche in the basement of the state library, where the cafeteria and the exhibition room ("book museum") are located.

The massive, 2.25 meter high and 1.46 meter wide high relief in the state library shows a journeyman printer turning the spindle of the printing press while Gutenberg sits in the foreground and examines a finished book.

Central building reliefs

When the library was demolished in 1970/1971, the Stuttgart Beautification Association rescued some components that were erected in 1973 on Europaplatz in Stuttgart-Fasanenhof , at the Europaplatz underground station on one side of Janusz-Korczak-Weg.

The two relief friezes of the former central building are presented together on a concrete base. The left frieze shows the allegory of poetry with Orpheus and the winged horse Pegasus , the right the allegory of science with Hercules and the Sphinx .

The capitals are placed side by side, separated from the friezes. They come from Blend pillars of risalits and worn as jewelry a fruit-winning mask head and axially symmetrical tendrils ( grotesque ). One capital rests on the end piece of a fluted blind pillar, the other on a corner cuboid with a labyrinth pattern in relief.

literature

General

• The new justice building and the new building of the k. public library in Stuttgart. In: Zeitschrift für Baukunde , 1880, Volume 3, Columns 251-253.
• State Library. In: Helmut Holoch (editor): Stuttgart in the course of the last 80 years. Stuttgart 1987, pages 101-102.
• August Köstlin (K.): The Royal Public Library in Stuttgart. In: Allgemeine Bauzeitung , year 53, 1888, pages 47–48, plates 37–41, text , plates .
• Theodor von Landauer : Royal Library Building in Stuttgart. In: Allgemeine Bauzeitung , year 49, 1888, plate 38, online .
• Hans-Christian Pust: The buildings of the Württemberg State Library 1765–1965. In: #Trost 2015.1 , pages 102–115, here 106–113.
• Harald Schukraft : Back then about Stuttgart: City center and suburbs in aerial photos from the twenties to forties. Silberburg, Stuttgart 1988, pages 26-27, 32-33.
• Vera Trost (editor): Carl Eugen's legacy: 250 years of the Württemberg State Library; an exhibition of the Württemberg State Library on the occasion of its foundation on February 11, 1765 from February 11, 2015 to April 11, 2015. Stuttgart 2015.
• The Royal State Library. In: Gustav Wais : Old Stuttgart's buildings in the picture: 640 pictures, including 2 colored ones, with explanations of city history, building history and art history. Stuttgart 1951, reprint Frankfurt am Main 1977, page 547.

Facade decoration

• Ulrike Fuchs: The sculptor Adolf Donndorf. Life and work. Stuttgart 1986, page 133, illustrations: 36, 101, 134. - Building decorations of the Royal State Library.
• Alexandra Kratz: Legends adorn the Fasanenhof: Fasanenhof. After the reopening of the Janusz-Korczak-Weg, the Donndorf reliefs can also be seen there again. In: Stuttgarter Zeitung , November 22, 2010, online .
• Heinrich Merz: From the Stuttgart Art Association . In: Christian Art Journal for Church, School and House , year 32, 1890, pages 81–87, here 87. - Arched gusset relief “Religion”.
• Heinrich Merz: The sculptures on the new library building in Stuttgart . In: Christian Art Journal for Church, School and House , Volume 35, 1893, Pages 119–121.

Web links

Commons : Königliche Landesbibliothek (Stuttgart)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Picture gallery Donndorfreliefs Fasanenhof on the website of the Schönerungsverein Stuttgart.

Footnotes

1. ↑ #Pust 2015 , page 107.
2. ↑ # Köstlin 1888 .
3. ↑ # Köstlin 1888 , # Pust 2015 .
4. ↑ # Köstlin 1888 , #Pust 2015 , images of the stairs and the main reading room: #Trost 2015.1 , page 29, 109.
5. ↑ #Pust 2015 .
6. ↑ post-photo ruin: #Holoch 1987 , page one hundred and first
7. ↑ #Schukraft 1988 , pp. 27, 32.
8. ↑ #Pust 2015 .
9. ↑ material of the relief of #Fuchs 1986 , page 133: sandstone, by #Merz 1893 , page 120: lothringischer limestone.
10. ↑ # Köstlin 1888 .
11. ↑ #Fuchs 1986 , page 133rd
12. ↑ #Fuchs 1986 , page 133-134, 101, #Merz 1893 , page 120, #Pust 2015 , page 109th
13. ↑ #Fuchs 1986 , page 133-135, #Merz 1893 , page 120-121.
14. ↑ #Wais 1951.1 - 1883 the library was largely completed, in 1886 the central building was also completed.