Invitation to the digital opening of the Staatsbibliothek Unter den Linden
Press release from 01/18/2021
On 25 January 2021, the main building of the Staatsbibliothek Unter den Linden will reopen digitally - after extensive refurbishment, modernisation and expansion. The structural and organisational measures have been completed and the Staatsbibliothek is ready to open the building. In his speech, Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble emphasises the importance of the event, which is taking place digitally due to the pandemic.
On 25 January 2021, the main building of the Staatsbibliothek Unter den Linden will reopen digitally - after extensive refurbishment, modernisation and expansion. The structural and organisational measures have been completed and the Staatsbibliothek is ready to open the building. In his speech, Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble emphasised the importance of the event, which is taking place digitally due to the pandemic.
We cordially invite you to watch the live stream of the opening ceremony
on Monday, 25 January 2021 at 1 pm
under Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - YouTube / www.youtube.com/user/StabiBerlin
Welcome
Hermann Parzinger
President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Greetings
Monika Grütters MdB
Minister of State for Culture and the Media
Ceremonial address
Wolfgang Schäuble
President of the German Bundestag
Greeting
Barbara Schneider-Kempf
Director General of the Berlin State Library
Afterwards, we will take you on a virtual tour of the building.
The stream will remain permanently available at the above address.
We look forward to hearing from you about this event and will be happy to answer any questions or requests you may have:
Jeanette Lamble, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
030 / 266 431444, Jeanette.lamble@sbb.spk-berlin.de
Opened in 1914, the building at Unter den Linden 8 was severely damaged by bombing during the Second World War. After the reunification of Germany and the resulting merger of the two locations of the Berlin State Library (Potsdamer Strasse, Unter den Linden), the federal government took on the enormous task of repairing and expanding the listed building with a great deal of planning and financial commitment and bringing it up to modern technical standards.
Since 2005, the building has been extensively renovated, extended and modernised while the library has continued to operate. In November 2019, the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning handed over the State Library building to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. This was followed by the relocation of the extensive collections and offices as well as various demolition works. Among other things, the entrance to this largest historical building complex in the centre of Berlin had to be moved back to the boulevard Unter den Linden.
Now everything is ready. As soon as the pandemic regulations allow, the doors to the building will be opened to welcome readers at 663 workstations in the six special reading rooms, the general reading room and group study rooms.
Further information can be found at: staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/die-staatsbibliothek/die-gebaeude/haus-unter-den-linden/ (http://sbb.berlin/2twa6n)