The Royal Library of Saxony, at Dresden, was founded by Elector Augustus in 1556, who established a collection in his palace, Castle Annaburg. In 1595 it contained 5,668 volumes. Its greatest expansion was experienced under Friedrich Augustus II, the second founder of the library. He installed it in a new home, add ing a number of valuable collections such as those of von Besser and Maurice of Saxe. Under Friedrich Augustus III it took first rank, due mainly to the efforts of Prince Xavier, guardian of the young prince. Two vast col lections were added; the Biinau (43,000 vols.) and the Briihl (62,000 vols.). In 1800 the col lections numbered 200,000 volumes, in 1850 300,000 volumes, and at present it contains about 600,000 volumes and 6,000 manuscripts. It is particularly rich in German history, literature and the fine arts.
Among the other royal libraries may be men tioned Konigl. Landesbibliothek of Stuttgart (603,186 vols.), opened to the public in 1777, containing at that time 6,000 volumes and 4,000 manuscripts from the palace collections at Ludwigsburg. It contains many of the books from the private library of the famous French scholar De Thou which were purchased when his library was dispersed. It is also famous for its collection of editions of the Bible. The Hertzogl. B. of Wolftenbiittel (300,000 vols.), founded by Julius, Duke of Braunsweig-Lune burg, in 1558, was a large collection at the be ginning of the 18th century. The poet Lessing at one time was librarian and among its patrons was the philosopher Leibnitz, many of whose papers, however, are in the Konigl. u. Provinzial-Bibliothek at Hanover (211,200 vols.), founded by Duke Johann Friedrich in 1660; Gotha, Offentliche B. des Herzogl. Hauses, founded 1646 by Ernest I of Saxony, has been developed by the reigning sovereigns (25,000 vols. in 1723; 150,000 in 1858; 205,638 in 1912 and 7,655 manuscripts). The Grossherzogl. Hof-B. at Darmstadt (564,512 vols.) was founded in 1670 by Ludwig I, but based upon the col lections of the Landgrave Ludwig VI. It contains manuscripts from Cologne Cathe dral. Saxe Weimar has long been a centre of art and literature, its rulers encouraging all things that would foster learning. Hence the Grossherzoglich Bibliothek (300,000 vols.) is large and most interesting. It was founded in 1700 by Duke Wilhelm Ernest, who gathered all of the books of his predecessors together into one collection. During the 18th century it was accounted the best library in Germany. It contains a fine collection of military litera ture.
Municipal One of the most in teresting and perhaps oldest of the German stadt or town libraries is that of Nurnberg, founded in 1445 by Dr. Konrad Kiihnhofer,
who presented his private collection to the city. To this has been added many valuable collec tions, notably that of Jerome Paumgartner, the friend of Luther. It also contains monastic books, the manuscripts of Hans Sachs and of Diirer, and many rarities greatly treasured by the city. The collections, numbering about 112,000 volumes and 2,550 manuscripts, are housed in the ancient monastic building of the Dominicans. The Staats-Kreis.-u.-Stadtbiblio thek of Augsburg was founded in 1537, its col lections originally having been monastic. In 1806, when the city of Augsburg was ceded to Bavaria, the greater part of its library was transferred to Munich. Steps were soon taken to rebuild it and books were gathered from the convents and monasteries to that end. These amounted to 42,791 volumes, which were formed into a Kreisbibliothek. The collections number (1912) 205,000 volumes, 2,300 manuscripts. Hamburg contains a number of excellent li braries, of which the most important is the Stadtbibliothek, founded in 1529. This contains about 418,000 volumes, 917 incunabula, 8,000 manuscripts. Frankfort-on-Main also is well supplied with libraries, possessing four of more than 50,000 (volumes each. The Stadtbibliothek, founded in 1668, is the largest, containing ap proximately 370,000 volumes. The Konigl. Offentliche B. of Bamberg (1611) contains splendid collections, being particularly rich in examples of early printing, the majority coming from the libraries of suppressed religious insti tutions. It is housed in the building of the former Jesuits' college. Among the other pub lic libraries in Germany, too numerous to be discussed, may be noted those of Berlin (124, 866 vols.) ; Liibeck (1620; 129,056 vols.) ; Mainz (1803; 235,000 vols.) ; Bremen (1660; 148,837 vols.) ; Breslau (185,000 vols.); Cassel (1580; 250,000 vols.) ; Cologne (1602; 255,000 vols.) ; Danzig (1591; 167,000 vols.) ; Treves (1803; 100,000 vols.) ; Weisbaden (1813; 172,211 vols.). Leipzig, the centre of German publishing activi ties, is also the home of a number of excellent libraries, among which may be noted the Biblio thek des Reichsgerichts (1870; 170,000 vols.), the Pidegogische Zentralbibliothek (1872; 190, 000 vols.) and the Universitats-B. 41543; 610,000 vols.). The Stadtbibliothek originated in a bequest of Hulderich Gross in 1677. It contains many valuable collections, among them that of Prof. H. L. POlitz, the historian, be queathed io 1838.