- Manuscripts
- Old and Rare Books
- Service
- Bibles
- Maps and Graphics
- Music
- Library of Contemporary History
- Hölderlin Archive
- Stefan George Archive
Old and Rare Books
The following pages give an insight into a highly disparate collection of valuable printed books, from Gutenberg down to the present day: age has a value of its own.
Bibliophiles and librarians are familiar with two major cut-off points: the year 1500 marks the end of the earliest printed works, the so-called "incunabula"; the year 1800, at least as far as the Württemberg State Library is concerned, marks the end of the "old book" period. Even after the year 1800, however, there are valuable works that are worthy of protection, for example: hand-coloured botanical works, modern book art with original graphics, hand-crafted and artistically designed bindings, first editions from the Romantic period, and much more besides.
The Bible collection, which is of incontestable worldwide importance, is not included here and forms a separate block of its own.