Det öppna biblioteket : Carolina Rediviva, Carl XIV Johan och de projekterade rummen

The library-building Carolina Rediviva was erected in Uppsala between 1811 and 1841, partly due to the needs of the University library to expand its space for books. However only partly, since the building also was needed as museum, to house the University’s collections of antiquities, manuscripts, coins and medals, for teaching, i.e. giving lectures and demonstrations of physics, and storing the physics’ instruments, and for festivities such as academic ceremonies and musical concerts. Last but not least the building was a monument of the newly elected heir of the Swedish throne, Carl Johan, who as Crown Prince and University Chancellor served as an important initiator of the library project. This study shows that the (actually quite stressed) functions of museum, space for teaching and festivities in no way lessened the buildings role of library, but rather underlined it. The consequence, though, was that the architecture must be carefully planned so that access to concerts, museums or lectures was not muddled with access to the book-rooms. Further, the study follows the project of building a multifunctional library up close, with its financial difficulties, architectural considerations, the library conditions of the time and the different aspects of it being a royal monument.
Rapporten kan beställas från avd. för vetenskapshistoria, Uppsala universitet.