Clementinum
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The Clementinum (Klementinum in Czech) is a historical complex of buildings in Prague. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
The history of the Klementinum dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.
The National Library was founded in 1781 and from 1782 the Klementinum was a legal deposit library.
In 1918 the newly-established Czecho-Slovak state took over the library. Since 1990, it has been the National Library.
The architecture is a notable example of Baroque architecture and Clementinum, covering 20,000 square metres, is the second largest complex of buildings in Prague after the Prague Castle.
The library contains a collection of Mozartiana, material pertaining to Tycho Brahe and Comenius, as well as historic examples of Czech literature.
Today the complex hosts the National, University and Technical libraries. The City Library is also located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí.
For several years before 2006, there was an on-going debate on the possibilities of expanding the space for future library collections, as the room in the current Clementinum buildings is expected to reach its limit by 2010. On Jan 10, 2006, the Prague authorities decided to sell the city-owned property located in the area of Letná near the Prague center, to the National Library. In Spring 2006, an international architectural design competition for the new building will be put up. The completion of the new building is anticipated in 2010.
In 2005 the Czech National Library received the UNESCO´s Jikji prize (Memory of the World).
[edit] Curiosities
- At one time Clementinum was the third largest Jesuit college in the world.
- The oldest weather recording in area of today's Czech Republic started in Clementinum in 1775. The recording continues through the present day (details in Czech and English).
- The Clementinum is mentioned in The Secret Miracle by Jorge Luis Borges. The main character has a dream of the library of Clementinum where the librarians look for God in the books of the library. One of the librarians says: God is in one of the letters of one of the pages of one of the four hundred thousand books of Clementinum. My fathers and the fathers of my fathers have looked for this letter; I myself have gone blind looking for it.
- The Baroque library hall is known for its beautiful interior, including ceiling artwork by Jan Hiebl.
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