Royal Danish Library, National library in Slotsholmen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Royal Danish Library combines a historic red brick building with a modern glass structure that rises above Copenhagen harbor. The newer extension provides reading rooms and exhibition spaces, while the original structure holds extensive collections.
Founded as a royal project in the 1600s, it established the foundation for one of Europe's major libraries. Its expansion and relocation to Slotsholmen in the 1900s transformed it into a modern hub of culture and knowledge.
The library preserves important Danish manuscripts and collections that reflect the nation's literary heritage. Visitors can see historical documents that connect closely to Danish culture and identity.
The reading rooms and exhibition areas are accessible six days a week and offer various resources for different visitor interests. The spaces are clearly marked, making it easy for visitors to navigate based on what they want to explore.
The library preserves a complete digital copy of the Danish internet from the early 2000s onward, making it a one-of-a-kind source for the nation's digital history. This digital archiving shows how technology has changed the role of traditional libraries.
Location: Copenhagen Municipality
Inception: 1648
Address: Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, 1221 København K
Phone: +(+45)33474747
Website: https://kb.dk
GPS coordinates: 55.67383,12.58221
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:02
European historic libraries and bookshops preserve written heritage accumulated over centuries. From Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, founded in 1732 and still operating at the same location, to the Bodleian Library in Oxford, which has housed over 13 million works since 1602, these sites reflect the evolution and dissemination of books. Livraria Lello in Porto is notable for its curved wooden staircase and neo-Gothic woodwork from 1906, while Dominicanen Bookshop in Maastricht is housed in a converted 13th-century church. These spaces are distinguished by their architecture, from baroque to neo-Gothic, and by their function preserved across centuries. The Celsus Library in Izmir, built in 135 AD, used double walls to protect its 12,000 parchments from humidity. Hatchards in London has been operating since 1797 over five floors in Piccadilly, whereas Shakespeare and Company in Paris has maintained its English-language tradition since 1951 opposite Notre-Dame. These institutions offer visitors the chance to explore places where the history of the book is engraved in stone and wood.
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