In Weimar, the burned-down library has been reopened

Berlin/Weimar - Three years after the devastating fire, German President Horst Köhler today officially opened the restored Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, Germany. The historic building, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been modernized while approximately returning to its original form from the mid-19th century. Tens of thousands of rare books are once again in place.
About 1,200 people attended today’s ceremony, including citizens of Weimar and firefighters who managed to save thousands of books during the fire. It is said that around 60,000 volumes have already been returned, but the restoration of other damaged books will take at least another eight years.
The fire in September 2004 was caused by faulty electrical wiring. Around 50,000 literary treasures, often more than 500 years old, 37 paintings, and other objects, including the death mask of German poet Friedrich Schiller, were reduced to ashes.
About 62,000 volumes, some partially charred or water-damaged, were transported after the fire to a Leipzig center for book rescue. Thanks to their care, 16,000 restored volumes are again available on the library’s shelves.
The grand rococo hall of the library has been illuminated once more by light blue colors, and the ornaments shine with a warm tone of gold. According to experts, the space is now more faithful to its original appearance than it was before the fire.
President Köhler praised the involvement of people in the preservation of the monument and the millions of voluntary contributions for its restoration, calling today “a day of joy for the cultural nation.” He also called for further support for the restoration.
A total of 12.8 million euros (almost 350 million crowns) has been spent on the library's restoration in the past three years. However, the restoration of the book collection itself and the acquisition of reproductions of books was much more expensive, with these costs estimated at 67 million euros.
The Duchess Anna Amalia Library contains around a million volumes of books from the 9th century to the present. The Duchess brought two prominent German literati, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, to Weimar, who borrowed her books.
After the fire, not only the Weimar library was modernized, but also other institutions preserving book collections throughout Germany. Million-euro costs were incurred to renew electrical systems and improve security devices.