„Bücher bewegen“: Gotha Research Library celebrates 375th anniversary of foundation

And so it is not surprising that the anniversary year is themed "Bücher bewegen" (books move). Whether on site or digitally - guests can expect a whole series of exciting events and insights in 2022. The focus will be on the opening of the anniversary exhibition "Bücher bewegen. 375 Years of the Gotha Research Library" on 9 April. The exhibition explores the eventful history of the Gotha Research Library, the origin of the books and the writing and thought movements of its readers. It tells the story(s) of Gotha's book and library history from the founding of the library in 1647 to the 21st century, shows treasures and curiosities, presents everyday library life and is dedicated to the upheavals in library history in the second half of the 20th century. It will be on display until 19 June.

With the Portuguese Alberto Manguel, the research library is expecting a very special guest on 13 July. The "citizen of the world" is at home in several languages and has worked in Buenos Aires, Paris, Milan, London and Toronto, among other places, as a publisher's editor, literary lecturer and translator. His book "A History of Reading", translated into all world languages, was awarded the Prix Medicis in 1998. His most recent titles are "A History of Curiosity" (2016) and "The Hidden Library" (2018). The event with the Gutenberg Prize winner will take place in English and will be simultaneously translated.

The summer school "Cultural Heritage in Cyperspace" invites early-stage researchers to the Gotha Research Library from 18 to 22 July to discuss the library's valuable oriental manuscripts and talk about projects in virtual space.

The „Gotha Manuscript Talks“ and the „Gothaer Bibliotheksgespräche“ (Gotha Library Talks) will continue in the anniversary year. The Gotha Perthes Collection invites visitors to special tours of its cartographic holdings on 2 July on the occasion of August Petermann's 200th birthday with an open day. There will also be guided tours of the annual exhibition and a tour of the East Tower on the history of the building and the library. The Thuringian Police Orchestra, conducted by Christian Beyer, will play a concert entitled "Der Gothaer Hofkapellmeisters Johann Heinrich Walch (1776–1855)“ on 17 September. In addition, various conferences, workshops and meetings will be held, including a conference led by Professor Martin Mulsow, Director of the Gotha Research Centre, entitled "Emil/Emilie: Duke August of Saxe-Gotha - literary figure, art connoisseur and transgender provocateur". The Duke was an unusual prince. Against this background, the conference will make the fluidity of his gender identity, his idiosyncrasies of taste and his unpublished literary activities the focus of a comprehensive reassessment. It will be based, among other things, on the Duke's estate preserved in the Gotha Research Library.

Another festive event is planned for 14 October in the Hall of Mirrors at Friedenstein.

All dates and events can also be found on our anniversary website at: www.uni-erfurt.de/forschungsbibliothek-gotha/bibliothek/aktuelles/bibliotheksjubilaeum