Eötvös Loránd University, University Library and Archives

The University Library of the Eötvös Loránd University is a scientific institution and a public specialist library supporting the educational and research work of the University. The library was founded by Miklós Oláh, archbishop of Esztergom, in 1561. It became a university library in 1635 when Péter Pázmány founded the university of Nagyszombat. The Royal Hungarian University and the library moved to Buda together in 1777, then to Pest in 1784. The present building of the library was built in 1876 according to the plans of Antal Szkalnitzky. The most beautiful room is the Reading Hall. It is more than 200 square meters and receives natural light through the glass ceiling; in addition, its walls are decorated with frescoes painted by Károly Lotz. The library holds nearly 2 million documents, including books and journals supporting the current university education and research. In addition, there are 185 codices (14 of them are corvinas), about 1,200 ancient prints, several valuable manuscripts, 11,000 antiquity from the XVI. century, as well as 15,000 baroque and 75,000 volumes from the XVIII. century in the library.