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Royal Library of Belgium
The Royal Library of Belgium (Dutch: Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België [ˈkoːnɪŋkləkə ˌbiblijoːˈteːk fɑm ˈbɛlɣijə]; French: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique [biblijɔtɛk ʁwajal də bɛlʒik]; German: Königliche Bibliothek Belgiens [ˈkøːnɪklɪçə biblioˈteːk ˈbɛlɡiəns], abbreviated KBR and sometimes nicknamed Albertine in French or Albertina in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The institution owns several collections of historical importance, like the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, and is the depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.
The library's history goes back to the age of the Dukes of Burgundy in the 15th century. In 1559, King Philip II of Spain founded the Royal Library of the Low Countries at the Palace of Coudenberg. In 1837, the Royal Library of Belgium was formally established. In the second half of the 20th century, the current building was constructed on the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg in central Brussels, near the Central Station.
There are four million bound volumes in the Royal Library, including a rare book collection numbering 45,000 works. The library has more than 750,000 prints, drawings and photographs, 150,000 maps and plans, and more than 250,000 objects, from coins to scales to monetary weights. The library also houses the Center for American Studies.
The Royal Library is open for reference only. Patrons must be at least eighteen years of age and must pay an annual membership fee.
The origins of the library lie in the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, created in the 15th century by the Burgundians. By the time of Philip the Good's death in 1467, this library housed approximately 900 manuscripts, making it one of the most prestigious collections in Europe. The illuminated manuscripts from this period included works by notable Flemish miniaturists such as Simon Marmion and the Master of Mary of Burgundy. While some of these manuscripts traveled with the itinerant dukes, the majority remained in the library of the Palace of Coudenberg in Brussels.
After the death of Charles the Bold in 1477, the ducal library passed to his descendants, but the collection faced significant challenges. Over time, the library suffered from neglect, looting, and theft. On 12 April 1559, Philip II of Spain consolidated all manuscripts at the Palace of Coudenberg, officially founding the Royal Library of the Low Countries, the direct predecessor of KBR. The ducal library, thus, forms the core of the current collection at KBR.
In 1731, a fire destroyed the Palace of Coudenberg, where the manuscript collection was kept. Many valuable manuscripts were thrown out of the windows by servants in an attempt to save them, but several were lost. After the fire, the manuscripts were moved to the ground floor of the palace’s large chapel, which had been spared from the flames.
During the French occupation of Brussels in 1746, about half of the Burgundian manuscripts were transferred to Paris. Although most volumes returned in 1770, the peaceful period that followed was short-lived. In 1794, during the French Revolution, the French Republic again took a large portion of the manuscripts. After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 saw the return of most manuscripts to Brussels. However, some remained in Paris, while additional works were added to the collection, many of which were not originally part of the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy.
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Royal Library of Belgium AI simulator
(@Royal Library of Belgium_simulator)
Royal Library of Belgium
The Royal Library of Belgium (Dutch: Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België [ˈkoːnɪŋkləkə ˌbiblijoːˈteːk fɑm ˈbɛlɣijə]; French: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique [biblijɔtɛk ʁwajal də bɛlʒik]; German: Königliche Bibliothek Belgiens [ˈkøːnɪklɪçə biblioˈteːk ˈbɛlɡiəns], abbreviated KBR and sometimes nicknamed Albertine in French or Albertina in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The institution owns several collections of historical importance, like the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, and is the depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.
The library's history goes back to the age of the Dukes of Burgundy in the 15th century. In 1559, King Philip II of Spain founded the Royal Library of the Low Countries at the Palace of Coudenberg. In 1837, the Royal Library of Belgium was formally established. In the second half of the 20th century, the current building was constructed on the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg in central Brussels, near the Central Station.
There are four million bound volumes in the Royal Library, including a rare book collection numbering 45,000 works. The library has more than 750,000 prints, drawings and photographs, 150,000 maps and plans, and more than 250,000 objects, from coins to scales to monetary weights. The library also houses the Center for American Studies.
The Royal Library is open for reference only. Patrons must be at least eighteen years of age and must pay an annual membership fee.
The origins of the library lie in the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, created in the 15th century by the Burgundians. By the time of Philip the Good's death in 1467, this library housed approximately 900 manuscripts, making it one of the most prestigious collections in Europe. The illuminated manuscripts from this period included works by notable Flemish miniaturists such as Simon Marmion and the Master of Mary of Burgundy. While some of these manuscripts traveled with the itinerant dukes, the majority remained in the library of the Palace of Coudenberg in Brussels.
After the death of Charles the Bold in 1477, the ducal library passed to his descendants, but the collection faced significant challenges. Over time, the library suffered from neglect, looting, and theft. On 12 April 1559, Philip II of Spain consolidated all manuscripts at the Palace of Coudenberg, officially founding the Royal Library of the Low Countries, the direct predecessor of KBR. The ducal library, thus, forms the core of the current collection at KBR.
In 1731, a fire destroyed the Palace of Coudenberg, where the manuscript collection was kept. Many valuable manuscripts were thrown out of the windows by servants in an attempt to save them, but several were lost. After the fire, the manuscripts were moved to the ground floor of the palace’s large chapel, which had been spared from the flames.
During the French occupation of Brussels in 1746, about half of the Burgundian manuscripts were transferred to Paris. Although most volumes returned in 1770, the peaceful period that followed was short-lived. In 1794, during the French Revolution, the French Republic again took a large portion of the manuscripts. After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 saw the return of most manuscripts to Brussels. However, some remained in Paris, while additional works were added to the collection, many of which were not originally part of the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy.