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Austrian National Library / Prunksaal

The Magnificent Old Imperial Library

The Austrian National Library, with a collection of 13 million items including books, maps, and the papyrus collection, was formerly the royal library of the Habsburgs. The library's oldest hall, the Prunksaal, was built in 1723 in the Baroque style and features sculptures and frescoes from the 17th to 18th centuries.

The Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), formerly the royal library of the Habsburgs, currently houses a total of 13 million items, including books, maps, globes, and the papyrus collection, etc.

In 1723, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI ordered the construction of a library next to the Josefsplatz (Joseph's Square) of Hofburg Palace to house the permanent collection of books and documents owned by the Habsburgs. The library hall is still standing today, and it is the Prunksaal (State Hall), the oldest room in the Austrian National Library.

The Baroque Style Prunksaal is 300 years old and has a statue of Emperor Charles VI in the center. The oval dome of the hall, 30 meters high, has a Dome Fresco painted by Daniel Grand in 1730 and depicts The Apotheosis of Emperor Charles VI, accompanied by Apollo and Hercules.

The hundreds of Walnut Bookshelves in the Prunksaal contain 200,000 rare antique books, spanning the years 1501 to 1850, including 15,000 from Prince Eugene of Savoy’s private collection, which are of great research and collecting value. The hall also contains more than a dozen 17th Century Marble Statues of the Habsburg family members.