Herzog August Bibliothek

Founded in 1572, the library gained worldwide fame as the "eighth wonder of the world". No wonder, as it housed the largest collection of books in Europe and an impressive collection of medieval manuscripts. However, it was not the builder Duke Julius who was responsible, but the man who later gave the library its name, Duke August the Younger. The highly educated duke had always been fond of books and brought his entire library with him to Wolfenbüttel during his reign. When the well-read duke passed away in 1666, the "Bibliotheca Augusta" already contained 35,000 volumes.

Attention: The library can currently only be admired from the outside. This video provides an insight into the magnificent  museum rooms: To YouTube. During the necessary fire protection renovations, guided tours are offered in the neighbouring Zeughaus and Lessinghaus.
 
The current library building was constructed at the end of the 19th century in the style of a Florentine palazzo and replaced the dilapidated, famous library rotunda of the previous century. Today, the imposing building houses a modern research library of international standing. The collection of the Herzog August Library, or HAB for short, contains around one million volumes, including around 350,000 volumes from the 15th to 18th centuries.

Guests from all over the world visit the library's museum rooms to marvel at the bibliophile gems of bygone times. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are regular special exhibitions and a varied cultural programme.
The treasure of treasures in the "Bibliotheca Augusta" and visitor magnet par excellence is the Gospels of Henry the Lion, which was purchased at auction in London in 1983 for 32.5 million DM. One of the most magnificent and art-historically valuable manuscripts of the Middle Ages has now found its final and prominent place in Wolfenbüttel.