Within the old walls of St. Gallen, where the Irish monk Gallus once began his simple life as a hermit, lies a treasure of parchment and ink, of knowledge and dreams. The Abbey Library, whose roots reach deep into the mists of time, is more than just a collection of books - it is a living echo of past centuries, a repository of wisdom, wrapped in the magic of history.
The pages of knowledge began to fill up here as early as the time of Gallus, who built the site around 612. From the 8th century onwards, the monks carefully wrote on parchment and created one of the most important manuscript collections in Europe in their scriptorium. Attested to on the famous St. Gallen monastery plan of 820, the library grew into a brilliant centre of learning. Notker Balbulus, whose tongue stuttered but whose mind sparkled like a star, and Ekkehart IV, who searched the pages with tireless zeal, left their mark on the cultural heritage of these venerable halls with their works.
In the Hartmut Tower, the books withstood the flames and unrest, the turmoil of the Reformation and the storms of time for centuries. As if an invisible guardian spirit watched over them, they were preserved until a new home was built for them in 1553 - a separate library building in the west wing of the monastery. But the real jewel came in 1767: the baroque library hall, a room of such grace and beauty that it still amazes visitors today. From the artfully decorated shelves, the books seem to whisper their stories in a soft voice, while angels and stucco work shine above them in heavenly splendor.
When the princely abbey was dissolved in 1797, the fate of the library hung in the balance. But clever librarians ensured that this repository of wisdom remained intact. Today, the abbey library is not only the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Abbey District of St. Gallen, but also one of the most radiant pearls of Eastern Switzerland. It is a bridge between the ages, an oasis of silence and knowledge in which the past lives on in a thousand pages - ready to reveal its wonders to anyone who knows how to read them.
Access
The library is open daily and admission is subject to a fee.
Photo credit: “Stiftsbibliothek St.Gallen”.