Carolina Redivia, Uppsala

Main library of Uppsala University, with 5 million books and 3,500 running meters of manuscripts. Exhibition room by the entrance showing the Silver Bible from the 6th century, medieval manuscripts, and notes written by Mozart, among other items. The building was erected in 1817-1841 and houses Sweden's oldest university library, originally founded in 1620.

A well-known institution to students all over Sweden, this is the university library, famous as a sight in its own as it houses so many treasures amongst its five million books. Codex argenteus, the "Silver Bible" is the most famous item. Its name comes from the silvery print on thin purple paper, which in this case was probably made in Ravenna. It isn't really a bible but a book with the evangelics. Nevertheless impressive, since they were translated from Greek to Gothic around the year 300 by Bishop Wulfila. It later came to Emperor Rudolph II and this copy therefore ended up in Sweden when we plundered Prague 1648. It left Sweden after the abdication of Queen Christina and we nearly lost it for good but it was soon bought back from the Netherlands to Sweden by the very famous national Chancellor Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie who incidentally also worked as chancellor of the university library. You can read more about the Codex in the "other" link below. What you see here today is a copy, since the original was stolen some years ago and even if it was returned, they do not want it to happen again.

Here an Italian name for this important biblioteque..
Interesting the university biblioteque,with more than five thousand books(but I haven't seen it..I have discovered it too late;the next time!)Here you can find the outstanding"Codex Argenteus";it told that it was write with silver ink...
Obiouvsly,to go inside the univesity biblio,you have to be a serious student.. :)

Carolina Rediviva is the old university library. It has old maps & historical books. Its highlight is the Codex Argentus, well half of it - written with silver ink on purple vellum! It was written in the 6th century in Gothic, a language now extinct, but familiar to Swedish. Admission is 20 SEK.

2 more images

Carolina is Uppsala's University Library. It is one of the most important librarys in Scandinavia. It has about 2 miljon books and over 30 000 handwritten works. Many of the old works in the collection comes from privat donations or are war trophys. As the Codex Argenteus (the Silver Bible) which was taken from Praugh during the Thirty Years' war (17th century). The bible is written in gothic and is from the 6th century. It used to be shown in the exebition room, just to the right when you enter Carolina, but some years ago it was stolen. The bible came back but since then they did not dare to show the original. There are many other items worth seeing though.
There is a big reading room for students. Here I have spent many hours while I was a student.