State Hall of the Austrian National Library
The baroque state hall of the Austrian National Library in the Vienna Hofburg housed the court library and is one of the “most beautiful historical library halls in the world”.
History and architecture
From 1578 the books of the court library were stored in the Minorite Monastery in Vienna , from 1623 to 1630 in the Hofburg on what is now the Reich Chancellery wing and in the Harrach house . Leopold I had a library built from 1681, but it was destroyed before completion during the Second Turkish Siege. Finally, Charles VI. the order for a library building, which was started from 1723 to 1726 by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and completed after his death by his son Joseph Emanuel . The state hall is part of this building.
The wing was originally free-standing, but now it connects the riding school wing and the Augustinian wing, both of which date from the 1760s in their current form. The building has a protruding central project on both sides, which becomes a transverse wing in the roof zone, creating an ensemble of mansard roofs. Mansard roof attachments are also hidden in front of the flat side projections. Above the sloping base zone, the facade is structured by giant Ionic pilasters that are doubled at the risalits.
The sculptures on the building are by Lorenzo Mattielli . Above the central risalit is an allegory of Minerva on a quadriga who triumphs over envy and ignorance. Two globes can be seen in the side wings, a celestial globe carried by atlas and a terrestrial globe flanked by a female figure (symbolizing the earth), both surrounded by mathematical and astronomical equipment and flanked by allegories of scientific activities. The dome was already showing cracks in 1740, so the court architect Nikolaus Pacassi had it reinforced with an iron ring in 1767 and two supporting pillars inserted.
The hall is 77.7 meters long, 14.2 meters wide and 19.6 meters high; The dome has an oval floor plan of 18 × 29.2 meters and is 29.2 meters high. The state hall is divided into three parts by a domed room and two side wings. The pairs of columns that represent the columns of Hercules divide the wings and address Spanish claims to power as well as Constantia et Fortitudine , the motto of Charles VI.
Frescoes
The frescoes on the ceiling of the State Hall reflect, among other things, that the books were thematically divided according to the criterion of whether they can be assigned to the subject of war (area at the entrance, near the Augustinian reading room) or that of peace (area near the redoubt halls). The frescoes are by Daniel Gran and were painted between 1726 and 1730. The fresco in the central dome depicts the apotheosis of Charles VI. represents, whose image is held by Hercules and Apollo . All kinds of allegorical figures are gathered around the image of the emperor in a complicated program, which are supposed to symbolize the virtues of the Habsburgs and the wealth of their countries. The ruling program was created by the court scholar Conrad Adolph von Albrecht . Furthermore, the frescoes show the allegorical story of the building of the court library. The ceiling fresco by Gran was restored by Franz Anton Maulbertsch .
Imperial statue of Charles VI. by Peter and Paul Strudel
One of the meter high bookshelves made of walnut wood
collection
The state hall houses around 200,000 books from a period from 1501 to 1850. Among them is the collection of Prince Eugene of Savoy , whose 15,000 volumes are bound in red, blue and yellow morocco . As a universal library of the time, the library is one of the most valuable book collections in the world. The library also contains the statues of the emperors by Peter and Paul Strudel and four globes by Vincenzo Coronelli . In 1735 Antonio Corradini designed the central statue of Charles VI. as Roman-German Emperor in the center of the state hall of the court library. The cabinets are made of walnut.
Individual evidence
- ^ The State Hall of the Austrian National Library , www.onb.ac.at, Austrian National Library
- ↑ State Hall of the National Library , www.wien.info
- ^ Vienna National Library , www.buchhaus.ib.hu-berlin.de, Das Buch und seine Haus
- ↑ a b c d e f The Baroque World in the Great Hall , www.onb.ac.at, Austrian National Library; Retrieved April 25, 2013
- ↑ a b c d architecture , www.onb.ac.at, Austrian National Library; Retrieved April 25, 2013
- ↑ a b library , www.onb.ac.at, Austrian library; Retrieved April 25, 2013
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 12 '22.2 " N , 16 ° 21' 59.9" E