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Four hundred years ago, on 28February 1615, the University Library of Groningen was officially instituted. This book celebrates the four centuries during which the Library matured from a single room with chained books to a modern and busy centre which is an information hub and a social meeting place as well.
This book not only marks the Library’s four-hundredth anniversary, but it also appears in a time of many changes. From September 2014, over the next few years the building will undergo a complete transformation. This is another reason why it appropriately focuses on the present-day building and the organisation’s long history. The forty collections presented here form a selection of the many delightful, fascinating and rare items in our care. Together they give an impression of the treasures preserved by our Library, a trust which, it is hoped, we will continue to honour for many centuries to come.
Preface 5
Four Buildings 7
2014-1986 Broerstraat 4 9
1986-1917 Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 5 – Zwanestraat 33 17
1917-1864 Zwanestraat 33 29
1864-1615 Poststraat – Academy Church 36
Forty Collections 45
1614 Academic Publications 46
1615 Maps and Atlases 47
1619 The Foundation Collection 48
1620 The Christmann Collection 49
1620 Mediaeval Manuscripts 50
1620 Modern Manuscripts 52
1624 The Library of the Martini Church 54
1669 The Wilhelmi Collection 55
1669 Illustrated Natural History Books 56
1688 Books in Greek 59
1724 Annotated Books 60
1751 The Crijnsz Collection 61
1805 The Smith Collection 62
1807 The Nauta Collection 63
1832 Alba Amicorum 64
1832 The Thomassen à Thuessink Collection 65
1833 The Van Schooten Collection 66
1853 The Library of Pro Excolendo Iure Patrio 67
1871 The Riedel Collection 68
1900 The Backer Collection 70
1905 The Conamur Collection 72
1907 The Van Hamel Collection 73
1907 The Library of the Natuurkundig Genootschap 74
1908 The Guyot Collection 75
1912 The Enschedé Collection 76
1924 The De Haan Collection 77
1926 Papyri 78
1929 The Biblioteca Italiana 79
1954 The Staverman Collection 80
1974 Bookbindings 81
1975 Private Presses 83
1979 Books Printed in Groningen 84
1980 Membra Disjecta 86
1983 The Plessner Papers 88
1988 The School Museum Collection 89
1990 Gifts from the Society of Friends of the University Library 90
1992 Digital Collections 91
1995 The Van Marken Collection 92
1998 The Wijchers Collection 93
2014 The Koops Collection 94
The University Library: The Future 96
