Warsaw University Library

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Warsaw University Library
Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie
BUW logo Warsaw.svg
Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie 2018.jpg
Type University library
Established1816;203 years ago (1816)
Location Warsaw, Poland
Collection
Size3,000,000
Other information
DirectorEwa Kobierska-Maciuszko
Website www.buw.uw.edu.pl

Warsaw University Library (Polish : Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, BUW) is a library of the University of Warsaw, Poland.

Polish language West Slavic language spoken in Poland

Polish is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In addition to being an official language of Poland, it is also used by Polish minorities in other countries. There are over 50 million Polish-language speakers around the world and it is one of the official languages of the European Union.

University of Warsaw largest university in Poland

The University of Warsaw, established in 1816, is the largest university in Poland. It employs over 6,000 staff including over 3,100 academic educators. It provides graduate courses for 53,000 students. The University offers some 37 different fields of study, 18 faculties and over 100 specializations in Humanities, technical as well as Natural Sciences.

Poland Republic in Central Europe

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres (120,733 sq mi), and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With a population of approximately 38.5 million people, Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union. Poland's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw. Other major cities include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Szczecin.

Contents

History

Old BUW location in the main university campus, Krakowskie Przedmiescie Stary BUW kampus centralny 2019.jpg
Old BUW location in the main university campus, Krakowskie Przedmieście

The library was founded in 1816 and linguist Samuel Linde became its first director. The library initially housed mostly theological and historical books, the collection was however enlarged by papers from other scientific fields in 1825. In 1831 the library, which served as a public library at that time, already housed 134,000 volumes of books, stored in Kazimierzowski Palace. [1]

Samuel Linde was a linguist, librarian, and lexicographer of the Polish language. He was director of the Prussian-founded Warsaw Lyceum during its existence (1804–31), and an important figure of the Polish Enlightenment.

Public library Library that is accessible by the public

A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants.

Interior of the Building, statues of philosophers of the Lvov-Warsaw School: Kazimierz Twardowski, Jan Lukasiewicz, Alfred Tarski and Stanislaw Lesniewski. 20070206 uw buw hall glowny biblioteki.jpg
Interior of the Building, statues of philosophers of the Lvov-Warsaw School: Kazimierz Twardowski, Jan Łukasiewicz, Alfred Tarski and Stanisław Leśniewski.

After the fall of the November Uprising the same year, the institution had been closed, and most of the collection taken away by Russian authorities to Saint Petersburg. In the 1860s the collection numbered 260,000 book volumes. [1] The collection was growing constantly, and a much needed new building was constructed in 1891-1894 at Krakowskie Przedmieście. Before the outbreak of World War I the collection had grown to 610,000 volumes. [1] During the war some of the most precious books and manuscripts were taken away to Rostov-on-Don by fleeing tsarist authorities. After the 1921 Treaty of Riga, most of the works were returned to Poland. During World War II part of the collection, 14% or 130 000 volumes, was damaged by fire.

November Uprising Polish uprising against occupying Russian Empire in 1830-1831

The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress Poland's military academy revolted, led by lieutenant Piotr Wysocki. Large segments of the peoples of Lithuania, Belarus, and the Right-bank Ukraine soon joined the uprising. Although the insurgents achieved local successes, a numerically superior Imperial Russian Army under Ivan Paskevich eventually crushed the uprising. The Russian Emperor Nicholas I decreed that henceforth Poland would become an integral part of Russia. With Warsaw little more than a military garrison, its university closed.

Saint Petersburg Federal city in the Northwestern federal district, Russia

Saint Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow, situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, with 5 million inhabitants in 2012, part of the Saint Petersburg agglomeration with a population of 6.2 million (2015). An important Russian port on the Baltic Sea, it has a status of a federal subject.

Krakowskie Przedmieście street in Warsaw

Krakowskie Przedmieście is one of the best known and most prestigious streets of Poland's capital Warsaw, surrounded by historic palaces, churches and manor-houses. Krakowskie Przedmieście Royal Avenue constitutes the northernmost part of Warsaw's Royal Route, and links the Old Town and Royal Castle with some of the most notable institutions in Warsaw, including – proceeding southward – the Presidential Palace, Warsaw University, and the Polish Academy of Sciences headquartered in the Staszic Palace. The immediate southward extension of Krakowskie Przedmieście along the Royal Route is ulica Nowy Świat.

In the 1990s a selection procedure for a new building was initiated. A design by architects Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski was chosen, and the new library building was opened on 15 December 1999. Six months before, on 11 June 1999, the building was blessed by Pope John Paul II. [2] [3]

University gardens and architecture

Gardens on the Library roof Powisle, Warsaw, Poland - panoramio - Michal Gorski (9).jpg
Gardens on the Library roof

The distinct new building includes a botanical garden, located on the roof. The garden designed by landscape architect Irena Bajerska, has an area of one hectare, and is one of the largest roof gardens in Europe. [4]

Botanical garden well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names

A botanical garden or botanic garden is a garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation, preservation and display of a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and other succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, shadehouses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants, or other exotic plants. Visitor services at a botanical garden might include tours, educational displays, art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other entertainment.

Landscape architect person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space

A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water management, sustainable design, construction specification and ensuring that all plans meet the current building codes and local and federal ordinances. The title landscape architect was first used by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York City's Central Park.

Roof garden garden on the roof of a building

A roof garden is a garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, recreational opportunities, and in large scale it may even have ecological benefits. The practice of cultivating food on the rooftop of buildings is sometimes referred to as rooftop farming. Rooftop farming is usually done using green roof, hydroponics, aeroponics or air-dynaponics systems or container gardens.

It is freely accessible not only to the academia, but also to the public.

The upper part of the garden consists of four parts: the Golden Garden (to the north), the Silver Garden (to the east), the Crimson Garden (to the south) and the Green Garden (to the west). It is available from April to October while from November 1 to March 31 only the Lower Garden is open.

The main facade on the Dobra Street side contains large blocks of classical texts in various scripts, including the Old Polish text of Jan Kochanowski, Classical Greek text by Plato and Hebrew script from the Book of Ezekiel.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Historia 1816-1915 at the official website
  2. ↑ Wizyta Papieża Jana Pawła II at the official website
  3. ↑ Piątek, 11 czerwca 1999 - Podsumowanie siódmego dnia pielgrzymki at Mateusz.pl - Christian web service
  4. ↑ Ogród at the official website

Coordinates: 52°14′31.32″N21°01′29.4″E / 52.2420333°N 21.024833°E / 52.2420333; 21.024833

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