The Schlossbibliothek Königsberg

After the dissolution of the Teutonic Order State, Duke Albrecht of Brandenburg, who had previously been Hochmeister of the order, began with the construction of a new library in his residence in Königsberg (today Russian Kaliningrad) in 1540. Thanks to a lavish acquisition policy this library became one of the leading Protestant libraries in Europe. The famous philosopher Immanuel Kant worked here as a subordinate library director from 1766 to 1772. In 1810, the Castle Library and the University Library of Königsberg were united to form the Königliche (later Staats-) und Universitätsbibliothek Königsberg. This library was destroyed in 1945. Large parts of the collection are today to be found in the University Library of Torún. A copy of Pausanias (Frankfurt 1583) was sold off as a double in the 19th century to the University Library of Berlin, whence it was purchased by the medieval Latinist Ludwig Traube around 1900 and in turn ended up in the MGH library (MGH-Bibliothek 2° Nx 31420 Rara).

MGH digital copy of an incunabulum from the SuUB Königsberg: Revelationes sancte Birgitte. Per Antonium Koberger: Nürnberg, 21.9.1500. 310 Bl. - Hain 3205; GW 4392. - Copy of SuUB Königsberg (Incun. 2422), jetzt GStAPK Berlin, XX. HA Hist. Staatsarchiv Königsberg, SuUB Königsberg Nr. 80.