History and book inventory

The Ludwig-Wilhelm-Gymnasium - built in 1747 as a Piarist monastery and located opposite the castle church - is home to the historical library of the city of Rastatt. The library hall on the second floor of the old building now houses part of the valuable book collection. The room is used for regular special exhibitions and events. In the former refectory - the "dining room" of the monastery - on the first floor, there are further extensive parts of the book collection and a permanent exhibition that provides an insight into the history of the library. The scientific reading area is also located here.

Foundation by Margravine Sibylla Augusta in 1715

The historical library of the town of Rastatt is closely linked to the foundation of the Rastatt Piarist College by Margravine Sibylla Augusta in 1715. There is evidence of the start of a book collection at this school in 1716. in 1808, the Rastatt Piarist School was merged with the Lyceum of Baden-Baden (the successor to the Jesuit College founded there in 1642) to form the Grand Ducal Grammar School of Rastatt, which also merged the libraries of both institutions. They subsequently formed the teachers' library of the Rastatt school, which has borne the name Ludwig-Wilhelm-Gymnasium since 1908. Since the 1960s, the library has been run by the town, and since 1987 it has also been a museum.

Stock of more than 80,000 media

The historical library has around 80,000 volumes. The oldest item in the library is a parchment fragment with a theological text from the beginning of the 9th century, written in Alemannic minuscule. The collection includes medieval and modern manuscripts, more than 160 incunabula from the early days of book printing in the second half of the 15th century, numerous rare and valuable prints from the 16th to 19th centuries, unique copies and first editions, books with original contemporary bindings and with illustrations by important masters of book art. Many of these books are directly related to historical figures, poets and writers as well as members of ruling houses or church dignitaries. The library also has a very extensive collection of German school annual reports with scientific supplements. Due to the size, age and structure of these holdings, the Historical Library, as a former school library, is now one of the five most important collections of its kind in Germany.