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| Counter in Dresden-Plauen in 1906 | Mobile library in 1960 |
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The "Städtische Bibliotheken Dresden" (Dresden Public Libraries) look back on a long and eventful history, which started on the 3rd September 1875 with the foundation of the first "Volksbibliothek" (the oldest of a large number founded as German public libraries, often placed in schools, with a teacher as librarian and with very short opening hours). The "Gemeinnütziger Verein" (a charitable society) launched it at a school in Dresden-Friedrichstadt. It was followed by the opening of 18 further branches by 1906.
In 1902 Karl August Lingner, a very influential entepreneur and benefactor, founded the "Dresdner Lesehalle" (Dresden Reading Hall) in the former Waisenhausstrasse. In 1918 this reading hall merged with the "Städtische Zentralbibliothek" (Main Municipal Library), an institution which had contained all public libraries since 1910. The new institution was given the name "Städtische Bücherei und Lesehalle" (Municipal Library and Reading Hall) and in 1923 its main location was moved to the newly built "Stadthaus" (Town house) in the Theaterstrasse. In 1925, the foundation of one of the first public music libraries in Germany followed. A couple years later, this music library took over the libraries of the Dresden Composers, the Mozart and Handel Societies, the Dreyssig Singing Academy and the former Conservatory.
Ida Bienert, wife of the owner of the "Hofmühle" (a mill company) Erwin Bienert, created a foundation to set up the "Freie öffentliche Bibliothek Dresden-Plauen" (Free Public Library Dresden-Plauen) in 1906. With Walter Hofmann as its manager, this library was developed into one of the most important and prominent public libraries in Saxony by employing a social concept, the aim of which was promoting the education of labourers.
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| Counter in Dresden-Plauen in 1906 | Mobile library in 1960 |
In order to supply the inhabitants of the Dresden suburbs with a representative selection of literature, Germany's first mobile library was established in 1929. In 2001, for the first time in Germany, the online connection to the computing sytem of the Dresden Public Libraries was created. The Dresden mobile library, which had its depot in the new library of Dresden-Pieschen since 2001, is still one of the most modern of its kind in Germany.
In 1935, the first Dresden reading room for children was established in the "Städtische Bücherei und Lesehalle Nordwest" (North-West Municipal Library and Reading Hall) in Dresden-Pieschen. Two librarians, who were also trained as supervisors, used this facility to establish a successful way of communicating literature to children.
The "Stadthaus" (Town house), main location of the library, was heavily damaged during World War II by the bombing on 13 February 1945. As a result of the bombing, 75% of the library collection was destroyed by fire with only the stock of the music library remaining undamaged. However, in December 1945 with the newly created "Städtische Bücherei" (Municipal Library), the lending of books was made possible again. Furthermore, in the following years the development of an elaborate system of branch libraries continued. The library management and administration, which had been located in the branch library Dresden-Neustadt after World War II, was able to move to the "Stadthaus" (Town house) in 1953. The library rooms themselves were still unusable at that time, but the readers were provided with a public reading hall. With the name "Stadt- und Bezirksbibliothek" (Municipal and District Library), the institution took on the methodological instruction of the "Staatliche Allgemein-Bibliotheken" (State-owned general libraries) located in the district of Dresden and in the city itself. The positive development of the library first came to a peak when it became the largest open-access library of the German Democratic Republic in 1969.
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| Main library in 1968 | Main and Music Library in 1999 |
After the district function had ended, the library was renamed the "Städtische Bibliotheken Dresden" (Dresden Public Libraries). In 1997, the growing collection, inadequate premises and lacking means for the redevelopment of the library's rooms in the "Stadthaus" (Town house) led to the relocation of the central administration and the "Haupt- und Musikbibliothek" (Main and Music Library) to the World Trade Center on the Freiberger Strasse. This location offers several advantages, among them the establishment of an enhanced infrastructure.
In 1991, the "Bücherhausdienst" (Residental book service) was established as a branch of the department "Soziale Bibliotheksarbeit" (Social library services). This service provides older readers and those who are confined to their homes with a special collection, including large-print editions and audiobooks.
In May 2000, the modern youth library, which had been located in the Hauptstrasse since 1979, moved to the Waisenhausstrasse and was renamed "medien@age - Die Neue Dresdner Jugendbibliothek" (New Youth Library of Dresden). It is now located close to where Dresden's first reading hall was founded in 1902. The concept of the medien@age, which was developed in co-operation with the Bertelsmann foundation, received strong recognition from international experts.
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| medien@age in 2001 |
In 2000, the 70 years old branch library "Nordwest" (north-west) was moved to a new location in Dresden-Pieschen to a complex of buildings created of reconstructed historical elements as well as newly built sections. Additionally, this branch library stands out as it structures its collection according to the fields of interest of the users.
Managed by the Dresden Public Libraries, the "Deutsche Internetbibliothek" (German Internet Library) was created in the year 2003. The following year, 2004, the Dresden Public Libraries were awarded with the national library award "Bibliothek des Jahres" (Library of the year).
Due to budget consolidation in 2005, the Dresden Public Libraries took over the Dresden Administration Library. In 2006, the year of the 800th anniversary of the city of Dresden, various projects were finished, e.g. the half-hour long documentary "Ich glaube, er war ein bisschen rebellisch ..." (about the "Freie öffentliche Bibliothek Dresden-Plauen" and its founder Walter Hofmann on the occasion of the library's centennial), and the book "Stadttore zur Medienwelt - Geschichte der Dresdner Bürgerbibliotheken".
In 2007 the Dresden Public Libraries achieved the first place in the German library ranking BIX (category cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants).
The "Städtische Bibliotheken Dresden" (Dresden Public Libraries) and their managers:
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"Dresdner Lesehalle" (Dresden Reading Hall) and "Volkslesehalle" (Public Reading Hall) |
1902 - 1910 Richard Brunn |
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"Städtische Zentralbibliothek" (Main Municipal Library) |
1910 - 1917 Richard Brunn |
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"Städtische Bücherei und Lesehalle" (Municipal Library
and Reading Hall) |
1918 - 1924 Richard Brunn |
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"Städtische Bücherei" (Municipal Library) |
1945 - 1951 Jan Pepino |
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"Stadt- und Bezirksbibliothek Dresden" (Municipal and District Library Dresden) |
1954 - 1970 Helmut Hahnewald |
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"Städtische Bibliotheken Dresden" (Dresden Public Libraries) |
since 1990 Dr. Arend Flemming |
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Email: mail@bibo-dresden.de
URL: http://www.bibo-dresden.de/english/history.html
last updated: 18.08.2009