The former Hofbibliothek, or imperial library, almost burnt to cinders in 1992, when a fire ravaged large parts of Vienna’s Hofburg, the erstwhile seat of the Hapsburg court. By a stroke of good fortune, the historic library was saved from the devastating blaze. Comprising some 200,000 books and manuscripts, the Hofbibliothek thus remains the largest baroque library in Europe.

Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Josef Emanuel designed the library’s state hall (“Prunksaal”) in the early 1700s. The library’s dome is painted with frescoes by Daniel Gran depicting allegories of war and peace.

Its most precious holdings include rare manuscripts by church reformer Martin Luther—the largest collection of its kind in the world—and the personal library of Prince Eugene of Savoy. On permanent display are two baroque Venetian globes of the earth and the heavens, each measuring more than one meter in diameter.

Today, the imperial library is integrated into the larger complex of the Austrian National Library. Entry to the state hall is via Josefsplatz only!