“Is there a more beautiful image for peace on earth than the reading room of a large library?” asks Peter von Matt in his contribution to this book. In building the library of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Max Dudler has created a space for books and reading that is both modern and timeless. The building’s architecture has drawn enormous attention from far beyond Berlin and continues to be highly praised by users.
In addition to documenting the ideas that shape this building, Bibliothek explores the role of libraries in general and focuses particularly on the architecture that creates adequate spaces for books and their readers. These functions are showcased in Barbara Klemm’s enchanting black-and-white photographs, which capture the simultaneously lively and intense atmosphere of the library’s various spaces. They offer a dramatic counterpoint to Stefan Müller’s spare, tranquil color photographs concentrating solely on the building’s architecture.

Featuring contributions by Jörg Baberowski, Hartmut Böhme, Milan Bulaty, Max Dudler, Martin Mosebach, and Peter von Matt, as well as photographs by Barbara Klemm and Stefan Müller

“‘Bibliothek’ is a stunning and cleverly put together illustrated volume that applies Dudler’s argument for an ‘ever-present dialectic of indoors and outdoors’ to the idea of the library that we create for ourselves today.” Andreas Platthaus on the first edition of the book, published in 2010 by Berlin Verlag, in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Hartmut Böhme: Passionen der Bibliothek

Jörg Baberowski: Das Wort und die Macht. Bücher in der kommunistischen Diktatur