History of the collections

Manuscripts, Old and Precious Works Archives

A central University Library was established in 1636 in the medieval drapers' hall, today the University Hall, at the initiative of rector Cornelius Jansenius. Its first librarian was the hebraïst Valerius Andreas. When the library needed extension, the building was first restructured (around 1680), then received a completely new wing with on the first floor a fairly decorated reading room (1723-1733). In 1736 the library held about 8,000 volumes. Under the librarianship of Jan Frans van de Velde from 1772 to 1797, a systematic catalogue was set up, and the amount of books doubled from 20,000 to 40,000. Yet, a difficult period was waiting: with the suspension of the University by the French Republic in 1797, the library possessed 50,000 volumes but was confiscated and given over to public use. Only twenty years later it was restored in its original function, at the foundation of the State University. As the latter was suspended in 1835, the library was carried over again to the city of Leuven, which promptly offered the collections and the buildings to the newly established Catholic University. From then on, the library could grow more steadily. It is estimated that it held 60,000 books and 300 manuscripts around 1850, and about 150,000 volumes at the turn of the century. In August 1914, the city of Leuven was burnt by the German invader, and the University library went up in flames with its 1,000 manuscripts, 800 incunables, and about 300,000 books. With international support, especially from the United States, a new library building was constructed and inaugurated in 1928, with about 750,000 volumes coming from national and international donations and German reparation payments. In May 1940, however, the story repeated itself, and 900,000 volumes were destroyed in a new fire. This time, it was until 1951 before the University Library could plainly assume its functions again. It is the great merit of Mgr. Etienne van Cauwenbergh, librarian from 1919 until 1961, to have reconstructed the library twice: at his retirement, he left a library which held about 1,000,000 volumes. As a result of the splitting of the University, the years 1970-1979 are marked by the division of the library collections between K.U.Leuven, the Flemish University, and Université catholique de Louvain, the French-speaking University moving to Louvain-la-Neuve. The odd shelfmarks stayed in Leuven, the even numbers went to Louvain-la-Neuve. Journals, series, and multi-volume works were placed under one shelfmark and stayed together. Some donated collections were kept as a whole as well.

Manuscripts, Old and Precious Works

The equally unique as tragic history of Leuven University Library is of course reflected in the contents of the historical collections today, especially as to the rare book collections. The 1914 fire devastated all works present, including the catalogue. Of the destroyed manuscripts, only a very partial list is extant. The 1940 fire left undestroyed only a few manuscripts, mainly books of hours, and 10 to 15,000 printed books. There is a catalogue available of one of the series of manuscripts (357) and some dispersed information about a few other manuscripts. The incunables acquired between 1914 and 1940 are listed in Polain. Only one survived the fire. One of the collections that stayed in Leuven after the division in 1970 is the fencing book collection willed by the English Olympic champion Archibald H. Corble (1883-1944) after World War II. For the study of Humanism in general and in Brabant in particular, the private library of the late Prof. Henry de Vocht (1879-1962) is very significant. As this scholar started with the study of English literature, there are some surprising and rare copies of STC entries. However, the major private library acquired after World War II was undoubtedly that of Henri Omont, the former curator of manuscripts of the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. His collection focused its attention mainly on the sixteenth century as well as on Greek philology; furthermore, he had an unequalled reference collection about manuscripts and private libraries. As this collection was no donation but a purchase, it was divided in 1970. The only actively acquired collection in the field of old books is the so-called Collectio Academica, which consists of works written by Leuven scholars or related to the University in another way. Justus Lipsius and Erycius Puteanus are two of the most represented authors within the collection, while in the theological field, Cornelius Jansenius of Ypres is certainly the most controversial. Although Erasmus does not make part of the collection, the humanists Nicolaus Clenardus and Juan Luis Vives do. For the larger part, the section of Old and Precious Works relies on donations. This means that the collection built up since 1940 is rather heterogeneous and contains a lot of gaps but it also presents unexpected findings. The reference collection, on the other hand, is being considered as a major priority. The manuscript catalogues come chiefly from the Omont collection, but since 1980 a lot of energy is invested to complete it and to trace new publications. Next to the manuscript catalogues, a complete book historical reference collection is set up, covering straight bibliography as well as the wide range of the 'arts of the book' and publicity. This reference library will not be easily equalled by any other library because of its combination of scope, quantity, and availability.