The State Hall of the Austrian National Library in Vienna: a Baroque Temple of Knowledge

Last visit: December 2021

My rating: 7/10

Visit duration: 20 minutes

In the heart of Vienna, within the Hofburg complex, lies a place that is not merely a library, but a monumental statement of knowledge as imperial power: the Prunksaal, or the State Hall of the Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek). Visiting this space means undertaking a secular pilgrimage into a Baroque temple of the book, where the scenography serves knowledge, and every architectural and decorative detail reflects a specific worldview—that of the Habsburg Empire at the height of its splendor.

An Architecture of Magnificence

Commissioned by Emperor Charles VI and built between 1723 and 1726 by the Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (and completed by his son, Joseph Emanuel), the State Hall stretches 77 meters in length and reaches a height of nearly 20 meters beneath its central dome. The space embodies the Baroque ideal of harmony between function and representation: it is not merely a book repository, but a visual declaration of cultural authority.

At the center of the hall rises a majestic elliptical dome, frescoed in 1730 by Daniel Gran with an allegorical glorification of the House of Habsburg. Rich in mythological and symbolic references, the images celebrate the Empire as a guarantor of order, wisdom, and faith, reaffirming the connection between knowledge and power. The entire hall is suffused with a golden light filtering through the high windows, reflecting off the dark walnut shelves and the gilded Rococo ornamentation, creating a sacral atmosphere.

The Austrian National Library in Vienna: An Imperial Literary Heritage

Today, the State Hall of the Austrian National Library in Vienna houses around 200,000 volumes, mostly from the imperial collection, arranged on two tiers of towering shelves accessible (though not to tourists) via wooden galleries that run along the walls. Among the most prestigious holdings is the library of Prince Eugene of Savoy, acquired after his death in 1736—a veritable trove of rare and valuable texts, especially in the fields of science, philosophy, and military history.

Particularly notable is also the collection of incunabula and medieval manuscripts—many of them illuminated—which are not on display but preserved in the library’s vault.

Between Imperial Symbolism and the Cult of the Book

The Prunksaal embodies a worldview in which the book is both an instrument and a symbol of political legitimization. It is no coincidence that at the center of the hall, beneath the dome, stands the statue of Charles VI, depicted as a Roman emperor, flanked by allegories of Virtue and Wisdom. This is the ideological heart of the library, from which unfolds a literary universe that is both a map of knowledge and a mirror of imperial order.

In this sense, the Hall can also be read as a “representation library”—a Wunderkammer of the book—designed to impress ambassadors, dignitaries, and foreign guests, and only secondarily intended as a space for study. Yet it is precisely this performative nature that makes it one of the most sublime architectural tributes to written culture in Europe today.

A Destination for Bibliophiles and Soulful Travelers

For the scholar, the collector, or the simple lover of books, the State Hall is an unmissable destination. Not so much for the sheer number of volumes it contains, but for the way in which the book is celebrated: as a physical, symbolic, and spiritual object. The only regret is that, compared to other historic libraries, the books here are even more inaccessible; the distance imposed by the towering shelves makes it impossible to read even the titles on the spines, reducing the visit to little more than a reverent contemplation of the space.