086543575

The Royal Library.

The Royal Library (Route 3) contains the largest col­ lection of books in the Nor­ thern Europe. It. was foun­ ded by K ing Frederik III. The library consists of more than 850,000 printed books, about 30,000 m anuscripts, about 4000 incunabula (up to year 1500) and a copious collection of music, portraits, maps and pictures. The present library was built 1898—1900 by professor Hans I. Holm. To the right in the hall is placed an im­ mense casting of a relief, representing the stern of a ship, cut in the rock by Lindos, found by the excava­ tions a t Ithodos, undertaken by the Carlsberg Foundation. In the middle of the vesti­

bule is the entrance to the big reading room w ith a re­ ference lib rary of 4,500 vo­ lumes. The room is decorated with busts of Frederik III, Olio Tliott and IIjehnstjcrnc. To the right is the entrance to the loan-departm ent and to the left the stairw ay to the perm anent exhibition. In the beautiful garden in front of the library, is a sta­ tue of the famous philosopher Horen Kierkegaard, and a t the passage out to K ristiansga- de an antique statue of De­ mosthenes. The reading-room is open 9—7, the exhibition 12—2. Admission free. The library is closed in A ugust and be­ tween Christmas and New- Year.

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