History of the book collections
The first scientific library in Gothenburg was created in 1861 when the Gothenburg museum made its book collections available to the public. Collecting, donations, money, problem solving and decades of devoted efforts make up the foundations of the Gothenburg university library.
The first city library of Gothenburg - the years 1861-1919
1861 saw the opening of the Gothenburg Museum, currently the Museum of Gothenburg, located in the East India House to this day. From the outset, the idea was that the museum should have a library with a comprehensive book collection, including more than just the scientific books that the museum already owned. Thanks to the efforts of publicist Sven Adolf Hedlund (1821-1900) the people of Gothenburg had been made aware of the museum's predicament - not enough books, and no money - and this prompted several donations of books and other materials. However, new problems ensued. The collection covered the various subjects unevenly, and a lot of the material needed binding. Enter the library's benefactor, wholesaler James Jameson Dickson (1815-1885). For over two decades, he provided funds for the library, alongside many valuable books and collections. The number of prints in the donation amounted to nearly 20 000, among them 7 000 duplicates that Dickson had acquired from the Uppsala University Library.
Donations kept coming in from various prominent Gothenburg families. In the 1915 memorial publication, Göteborgs stadsbibliotek 1890-1915 : minnesskrift, Lars Wåhlin mentions the 1863 donation of the library of works proprietor Peter W. Ekman, the botanical library of Johan Anders Leffler, the book collection of Peter Wieselgren (donated by the City of Gothenburg in 1877), the Carl David Lundström collection of Swedish drama, the scientific book collection of customs collector Niklas Westring, the statistics books of director general Fredrik Theodor Berg, and so on. The library increased its holdings.
Another source of funding was the riksdagsmannakassan, and in 1871, when the time came to distribute grants from the Renström foundation, lecturer Edvard Samuel Fagerberg, in his capacity as representative of the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, sent a motion to the city council suggesting the museum library should receive a grant of 10 000 and 5 000 riksdaler respectively. The larger sum would be earmarked for acquisitions, and the lesser one for the creation of an archive, to store and preserve documents pertaining to Gothenburg and the nearby area. The stated motivation was that the library essentially served as the city's public library. The motion was approved. This effort by Fagerberg and the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg has since been deemed crucial for the establishment of the library that constitutes the foundation of the present-day university library.
Admittedly, the various grants from the Renström foundation were received several years apart, but the library was given 25 000 SEK on a number of occasions.
In the 1880s, the venue was slowly becoming too small to accommodate the library. At this point, the holdings were dispersed throughout different rooms in the house of the East India Company, and in 1886, the library occupied the entire east wing on the third floor. A library office and a reading room had also been added.
Merging with the Gothenburg College library
After a decision by the city council in 1887, the Gothenburg College formally opened in 1891. The college purchased the book collection of the late Uppsala professor Einar Löfstedt (1831-1889), mainly including works on classical philology, and with many titles in Latin and Greek. While this collection was outstanding in its own right, it was the only one at the school. The college and museum boards convened and decided to merge their respective libraries. This was the birth of the Gothenburg city library. It is worth noting that the two merged libraries continued to use their respective stamps to mark their materials.
The college taught mainly humanities, and the library needed to acquire more titles within these subjects. New donations kept coming in, including professor Albert Lysander's (1822-1890) collection of Latin literature. Further, there were donations of materials pertaining to Nordic philology, and Old Norse literature. Purchases particularly noted in Lars Wåhlin's Göteborgs stadsbibliotek 1890-1915 : minnesskrift is a large collection of literature on zoology and paleontology, along with a significant number of Swedish theatrical plays. Further, wholesaler Carl Magnus Carlander (1837-1911) donated a unique collection of Almquistiana.
Additions from disbanded libraries
The gifts kept coming in, both from private donors and from the authorities. Acquisitions included the disbanded library of the Swedish Academy (1891) and titles culled from the collections of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1893). The college also provided funding for the acquisition of books on several occasions. In the 1890s, a lot of works on zoology were purchased along with valuable works within Roman philology.
Further, mechant Carl Wijk (1839-1907) sponsored the purchase of four rare Swedish reformatory works, one of which is the country's oldest preserved hymn book, likely printed in 1530. These treasures had previously belonged to assistant vicar Ludvig Fritjof Palmgren (1844-1915). In the same year, 1897, the library bought a large amount of older Swedish plays from the library of merchant A. Abramson, which was auctioned in Stockholm. Several previously mentioned donors contributed funds for this acquisition. In the following year, merchant August Röhss donated the newly purchased Tranemåla collection on behalf of the library. This collection included over 25 000 titles, and consisted mainly of more recent Scandinavian literature. In its day, it had been painstakingly amassed by member of the Riksdag Lars Månsson (1827-1904) in Tranemåla. It was the largest gift the library had ever received. In 1898, merchant Anders Wilhelm Levgren (1825-1898) passed away. He had been deeply invested in the creation of the library, and left it over 3 000 books, magazines and newspapers, mostly in the form of new foreign works on history, biography and geography.
A new catalogue
When the museum library was made a city library the holdings were assessed, and it soon became evident that an entirely new catalogue was needed for the whole collection. There was already a card catalogue, additionally available in print. New subject categories and shelf codes had been added over the years, and the diverse nature of the many existing catalogues demanded a recataloguing effort extending to the entire library. This took a few years, but eventually, everything had been recorded both in what is referred to as accession catalogues, and in a card catalogue made in two parts: one alphabetical and one arranged according to subject. The latter was built to reflect the subjects represented in the library holdings. Both these catalogues are still held at the Humanities library, and remain in daily use.
A modern library was slowly emerging. However, this required a new venue, and professor Warburg, who was also a librarian, had asked architect Hans Hedlund to create a suitable house. The plans were presented to the board of the museum, and met with its approval. The city council provided a plot next to the grounds of the Haga church. The Renström foundation earmarked half a million SEK for the purpose. On October 6th, 1900, the new city library was inaugurated. The building now houses the Social Sciences Library, a branch of the Gothenburg University Library.
Bequests
It became increasingly common for wealthy people in Gothenburg to bequeath their book collections to the city library, resulting in thousands of new acquisitions every year. Various subjects would be included in the overall holdings, depending on the private interests of the donors. In 1903, the library received a remarkably fine collection of books, donated via many proxies from bibliophile Carl Snoilsky (1941-1903). For more information about this collection, please read more about the Carl Snoilsky book collection among our special collections. At an auction in Lund 1910, books on theology, ecclesiastical history, biography and philosophy were also acquired, with money donated by Caroline Wijk (1846-1918).
The donations extended beyond books, and also included money. August Röhss (1836-1904) bequeathed 50 000 SEK to the library, and merchant, banker and politician Gabriel Heyman (1828-1915) created the foundations for the Gabriel Heymans donationsfond till Göteborgs stadsbibliotek where he placed 500 000 SEK, the returns of which were to be used for the acquisition of books, binding, and other things that might benefit the library. From Heyman's private collection, the library board was further permitted to take any books they wished to add to the library collection.
Expanding the premises
In just a few years, even the new library building was found too small. In 1909, the third floor of the house had been furnished and taken into use, and the attic served as new storage space for exchange publications. Still, there was not enough room, and the question of an annex was put forth. It was not until 1926 that an annex was finished, to the east of the library. The result, of course, was a marked increase both in visitor numbers and circulation. In addition, a new reading room had been furnished.
NTBB as a source of information
Nordisk tidskrift för bok- och biblioteksväsen (NTBB) is nothing short of a goldmine for details of the library's work, as well as notes on the many donations the library has received over the years. For example, the 1918 issue of NTBB states that the city library received a book collection on classical philology, previously belonging to professor Johannes Paulson (1855-1918). It included 1 200 volumes, several editions of Hesiod and Lucretius among them. In addition, Paulson donated his personal archive to the library. In 1919, bookseller Magnus Kindahl (1836-1919) passed away. He donated 20 000 SEK to establish a foundation, the returns of which would be used for the purchase of literature for the soon to be opened School of Business, Economics and Law.
The years 1920-1940
In the early 1920s, the library received a donation from the estate of Mrs Louise Magnus (1842-1921); 259 volumes with various contents. Another acquisition was the book collection of author Sophie Elkan (1853-1921), with many works on cultural history as well as fiction.
The then Minister for Justice Assar Åkerman (1860–1936) decided that archival copies of the annual prints issued by the Department of Justice were to be donated to the Gothenburg city library.
Once the annex was finished, the library could better organise its efforts. In 1928, the holdings were divided for added clarity, into a Swedish and a foreign section. A circulation desk was added. It is worth noting that the Finnish collection was separated from the foreign collection, and still remains that way. New staff was recruited, and various gaps in the holdings were amended with grants from the municipality and the various foundations established for the benefit of the library. In addition, the library received its share of the legal deposit of Swedish prints. Many of the books needed binding, and the new library included a bookbinders' workshop.
With the library's dual purpose of serving both the scientific community and the public, came particular demands that had to be met. Consequently, new encyclopedias were acquired, along with foreign works on popular science, newly issued foreign fiction, popular travel accounts and so on. The available funds could not fully meet these needs, and even the large Heyman donation was running dry. A more detailed account of the library's efforts and economy can be had from the Nordisk tidskrift för bok- och biblioteksväsen, issue XV, 1928, pp. 248-251.
From 1928 to 1931, there were several donations including that of former Gothenburg Mayor of Justice Erik Trana (1847-1933), who owned an Oriental library, primarily consisting of a comprehensive collection of literature on Egyptology, containing all the foundational works of that field, including the large catalogue of the Museum of Cairo. Trana bequeathed his collection to the library already in 1916, but it was transferred to its new home in portions along with a deed of gift beginning in 1930, with the final contents of the collection acquired some years later. At the time, it was held to be among the most valuable donations the library had ever received.
In 1928, the library received the book collection of Gothenburg physician Adolf Strömstedt (1860-1928). It included some 500 books on psychiatry, psychology and criminology. Another important, extensive gift was the one from the book collection of Gustaf Steffen (1864-1929), where the library was offered to pick and choose freely among the contents. The estate of lecturer Ludvig Johansson (1865-1929) donated his impressive collection of materials on leeches to the library in 1930: close to 400 issues of various periodicals. In the same year, professor Vilhelm Lundström (1869-1940) presented one of his several donations to the library, two incunabula: the Vitae patrum (Strasbourg 1483) by Jerome, and Ovid’s Libri fastorum (Venice 1497), as well as a collection of catalogues of Greek manuscripts held in various libraries.
In 1931, Mrs Signe Lovén donated an extensive collection of small prints concerning Gothenburg. These had previously belonged to historian, lieutenant colonel and doctor of philosophy Hugo Fröding (1842-1930).
In the early 1930s, the world economy was in a poor state, impacting all of society. The library sought to cut its spending by reducing purchases of older literature that was still lacking in the collections, on account of the establishment still being fairly new. A few such titles were acquired from antiquarian bookshops. Other money-saving efforts included not binding books that would otherwise have been bound.
In 1933, Mrs Anna Platin née Krüger (1864-1938) from Gothenburg donated 2 200 books on various subjects, including geography, history, biography, art and modern fiction. The gift was highly appreciated, as there was much demand for additional copies of popular titles, and a need to replace books that had been worn out. Consul’s wife Axelia Lindow (1865-1945) from Alingsås donated French literature from the 17th and 18th centuries, with several rarities among the titles, such as the first printing of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s (1712-1778) Discours sur lʹorigine et les fondements de lʹinégalité parmi les hommes, from 1755.
The library expanded, and library director Severin Hallberg (1886-1960) now expressed his wish for a new extension - this time to the west.
In 1935, apothecary Gustaf Bernström (1877-1966) donated a collection of literature on Danish playwright Ludvig Holberg to the Gothenburg city library. The collection included 500 volumes: editions from various countries as well as original prints, notably the first Swedish edition of Jeppe on the Hill, from 1735. Bernström also donated a number of miniature books. Read more about the Holberg collection and the Gothenburg University Library miniatures.
Exchange publications
There was, and still is, a network among libraries and institutions, for trading publications between organisations. In the 1930s, the library made active efforts to establish new such exchange connections. The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences contributed a great deal to this work. They also moved their own collections to the then city library. The Uppsala and Lund university libraries, along with the Karolinska institute, the Åbo Akademi University and the Aarhus city library sent their duplicates, and in return provided literature for Gothenburg.
Asian material
In the 1930s, there were new additions to the East Asian collection. The college provided 230 newly printed volumes – anthologies of older Chinese literature. Among the exchange connections established by the library was one with the National Central Library of Nanjing, China, which in 1935 sent 11 shelf metres of rare works in new editions. The English title of this anthology is the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries.
Librarian John V. Peterson (1903–1984) visited Japan in 1937, and purchased reprints of Japanese literature on behalf of the library. In the same year, the Japanese government donated 407 volumes of literature to the Gothenburg college, which in turn deposited the books at the Gothenburg city library.
...and more donations
1937 saw the passing of customs inspector Johan Albert Hallberg (1861-1937). He bequeathed his book collection to the library – some 20 000 works, including about 30 metres of literature on Goethe, a number of engravings and Hallberg’s bookplate collection. He also provided shelves for the library. His book collection amounted to 700 shelf metres, which once again caused library director Severin Hallberg (no family relation between the two gentlemen) to address the need for roomier premises. Customs inspector Hallberg also provided the funds for printing a catalogue of the most prominent portions of his collection.
Apothecary Gustaf Bernström turned 60 in 1937, and celebrated the occasion by a donation to the library that included the Icelandic Thorlak's Bible from 1644, among several other items.
In 1938, Selma Lagerlöf sent several fiction works in fine covers, which had previously belonged to Sophie Elkan. An additional donation from Elkan had been made to the library at the time of her death in 1921.
One of the foremost benefactors of the city library, professor Vilhelm Lundström (1869-1940), passed away in 1940. His library included works on a vast range of subjects, among which the city library was mainly interested in his books on classical philology and archaeology.
The Pro Finlandia auction
Following a students’ initiative in Uppsala, many people donated manuscripts and rare books for the benefit of Finland, at this time fighting the Winter War. The Bukowskis auction house organised the Pro Finlandia auction on their premises in Stockholm in late February,1940. Representatives from the Gothenburg city library were attending, with 15 000 SEK from private donations to spend. They bought a total of 135 books including 3 incunabula, the Raphael Bible from 1649, printed on parchment, and the first editions of both Kalevala(1835), and The Pickwick Club (1837) by Charles Dickens.
From city library to university library
1940-1961
The question of a new library had been discussed since the early 30s, at which time a construction fund was created. The library building on Vasagatan was no longer sufficient. Shelves and stacks were filled to capacity and beyond, and various solutions involving book depots were discussed. However, it was not until the 1940s that any serious plans for a new library were made. One of the suggestions was to build the library in a plot at Olof Wijksgatan. Arguments were presented, blueprints created, money requested. In the late 1940s, the Swedish state sought to reduce unemployment within the construction business, and the city library board became very eager to compile a number of carefully crafted suggestions that could be used for budget calculations. The question of the library’s name was also debated – should this really be the “city library”? It was a research library after all, and to state this clearly was deemed appropriate.
Despit the war and the slumping world economy, continued efforts were made to establish exchanges with other libraries and instutitions. This worked to a limited extent. Dispatches from Great Britain were few and sporadic, and from France, shipments had ceased altogether.
Plans for a new library
Throughout more or less the entire 1940s, the library’s annual records concern themselves with plans for the new library. In 1940, architect Ärland Noreen crafted a suggestion that found favour with all concerned parties. As for a temporary solution regarding the overflowing stacks, new shelves were oput in rooms not originally intended for storing books. After all, the library is an ever-expanding, living being. Every metre gained was carefully recorded in the annual reports. Due to the war and its effects, the number of acquisitions plummeted, especially when it came to foreign materials. However, a duplicate exchange was established with the then Lenin State Library in Moscow, which sent a large amount of fiction and works on history in the spring of that year. In Sweden, exchange and purchases continued more or less as usual. At this time, the National Archives of Sweden sent 1 300 royal decrees, while the Royal Swedish Academy sent some older Swedish dissertations, and the Uppsala university library contributed a large collection of diocesan and clerical records. In addition, the library bought several Swedish 17th century prints, among them En lijten psalmbok, printed in Strängnäs in 1661.
Art historian and museum curator Stig Roth (1900-1972) became a member of the library board in 1943, after Otto Sylwan (1864-1954) left his seat. Stig Roth represented the Gothenburg Musuem on the board. Both men would contribute unique collections to the library holdings in the years to come.
In the same year, 1943, the library received a donation from the widow of polar explorer Otto Nordenskjöld, Karen Nordenskjöld (1882-1981), consisting of her husband’s geographical library, as well as a collection of Swedenborgiana, built by the Nordenskjöld family over the course of many years. Further, there was a large acquisition of children’s books, some donated by Karin Karling (1883-1957), and some by author and pedagogue Jeanna Oterdahl (1879-1965).
A branch at the Medical college
While the plans for the new Central library slowly progressed, another branch opened on July 1st, 1948, at the Gothenburg Medical college. The literature on medicine was moved there, clearing some shelving space at Vasagatan.
Further important purchases and donations
Acquisitions continued, to secure key titles and books in high demand. Using money from the Anna Ahrenberg fund, three incunables were acquired: Propertius’ Elegiae cum commentariis (1487), Plautus’ Comoediae …(1495) and Baptista de Salis’ Summa casuum conscientiae dicta Rodella (1495).
By the end of 1950, parts of the book collection of librarian Isak Collijn (1875-1949) came to the city library. The material consisted largely of bibliographies, and works on bibliology and Medieval church history.
New venue at Näckrosdammen
2 November 1951 saw the groundbreaking ceremony of the new library in the Renström park, across from the nearby pond, Näckrosdammen. Perhaps the new, spacious venue was what prompted the purchase of the 209 volumes of the Library of Congress catalogue.
The new library was finally ready for inspection in 1954, both later and more costly than the original calculations had indicated. The move to the new premises was mainly planned by assistant librarian at the Medical library Nils Sandberg (1911-1999). Movers AB Göteborgs express and transport were hired for the job, and in a mere 14 days, the library was moved from Vasagatan to the Renström park. The gates opened on June 14th, 1954.
At this point, 54 running periodicals were acquired, as well as 2 173 volumes printed in Sweden, and 7 768 volumes printed elsewhere. The most valuable addition of the year was a donation from Gustaf Bernström: 115 volumes written by or pertaining to Danish priest and resistance profile Kaj Munk.
In 1957 and 1958, more than 25 000 foreign titles were acquired. There was money to be had from various foundations, particularly the Wilhelm and Martina Lundgrens foundation, as well as the Anna Ahrenberg foundation, with 20 000 and 5 000 SEK respectively, for filling gaps in the periodical and manuscript holdings. Complements were acquired on microform. Investments were also made in “audio replay apparatus” and additional funds were provided for the printing of librarian Lage Hultén’s catalogue of the Collectio Holbergiana – a part of the Holberg collection.
In the summer of 1954, Gothenburg University was founded, through the merging of the Gothenburg College and the city’s Medical college. Joining the city library and the Gothenburg University was considered a necessity. On January 1st, 1961, the municipal city library became the state-owned Gothenburg university library.
The present day
Through the years, many cultural institutions have contributed to what is currently the Gothenburg University Library, as it has evolved through its various forms. These institutions include the Gothenburg Museum, the many other Swedish university libraries, several prominent private donors, the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, the City of Gothenburg, the Gothenburg College and the Gothenburg University.
This text about the history of the book collections describes a small selection of what is available in our holdings. For a more detailed overview, we recommend the annual reports of the library, where our predecessors have tirelessly noted the minutiae of most of the acquisitions made through the years. The annual reports also include details about staff changes, as well as yearly statistics covering every aspect of the library’s endeavour.
The core tasks of the library have changed very little through the years. Naturally, we have a lot of modern tools and a fixed annual grant for acquisitions, and we continue to receive some very fine donations, but we are still grappling with the same issues that occupied our colleagues in the past. There is a constant lack of funds, staff and time. The stacks are overflowing, and parts of the collections have been relocated to external book depots. The library is a living, growing entity. We strive to add new materials, but recognise our equally important task of preserving our existing holdings on behalf of future generations.
We serve our researchers, our students, and the public.
Read more
Göteborgs stadsbibliotek 1891-1941 : minnesskrift [bibliophile edition].
Hallberg, Albert, Minnen och levnadserfarenheter av en samlare, Gumpert (distr.), Göteborg, 1935.
Hallberg, Severin, Göteborgs stadsbibliotek: det första halvseklet : 1891-1940 : med ett bibliografiskt tillägg, Göteborg, 1941.
Nordisk tidskrift för bok- och biblioteksväsen, Almqvist & Wiksell, Uppsala, 1914-1997.
Wåhlin, Lars, Göteborgs stadsbibliotek 1890-1915: minnesskrift, Göteborg, 1915. Digitally available.
Årsberättelse, Göteborg, 1927-1961.