Marian Library

The Marienbibliothek in Halle an der Saale is a scientific Protestant church library in Halle. It is the oldest and largest continuously publicly accessible library of its kind in Germany.
The Marienbibliothek was founded in 1552 by Sebastian Boetius, the senior pastor of St. Mary's Church, now the Market Church of Our Dear Ladies. Boetius purchased some books with money from a donation at the Leipzig Fair. Through donations and purchases, the book collection grew very rapidly. The Marienbibliothek was the only public book collection in the city until the founding of the University Library of Halle in 1696, which had to be used by the students and professors of the newly founded university. Even after that, the slowly growing university library could not cover the demand for literature. Supported by an electoral privilege for use from 1697, the professors continued to prefer the more extensive Marienbibliothek.

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