Tour of the Cathedral

The Cathedral's History

Kant's Museum 2. Floor: Kneiphof's History 3. Floor: The Library of Martin Wallenrodt 4. Floor: Kant, his Life and his City Kant's Institute

Photogallery The Cathedral before the War The Cathedral in Ruins The Cathedral's Reconstruction

Video gallery The Cathedral before the War The Cathedral in Ruins The Cathedral's Reconstruction

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3. Floor: The Library of Martin Wallenrodt

According to historical sources in 1623 chancellor Martin of Wallenrodt has based the personal library. The chancellor was rather educated person, loved books and collected them all life. He created the magnificent library consisting more from three thousand books. Unfortunately, this collection has burned down together with the house of the chancellor. Soon the chancellor started to collect new library. And again he has created quite good assembly of books and manuscripts about 2000 units. The son of the chancellor has considerably expanded assembly of books, having attached to it (him) a collection of coins, pictures, sculptures and antiques.  In 1650 the son of the chancellor von Wallenrodt who has presented the library to the city , has got «a useless and homeless premise in Kneiphof church, above near organ, near a bell tower » to place there library to «the blessing of studying youth». Apparently in Europe it was the first case, a code the secular library settled down in a temple. There was a sculpture - the image of the woman - the symbol of  wisdom in transition between two premises. At an entrance to library hung rules of visiting .For example: « The one who intends enter, must clear footwear of a dirty, will shake a dust or rain water from clothe »; « books must not be cut and spoiled by scissors or a knife». Wallenrodt family kept up a condition of library, generously allocating money for updating a book fund, its contents and service. The destiny of assembly of books has been legally determined beforehand. Nobody had rights to divide a collection, to withdraw from it copies! Supervision of affairs in library was carried out by the senior member of Wallenrodt family. It was specially stipulated, that the librarian can be only the professor or the scientist of university Albertina. By 1944 the library charged extra more than 20 thousand units of storage. During a fire on August, 30 in 1944 the part of books has been evacuated on the south of East Prussia. In 1981 books of Wallenrodt library have been found out in storehouses of trophy books in manor Uzkoje near Moscow and transferred handed to KaliningradState university. 291 binding from Wallenrodt assembly is nowadays kept in library of the Kaliningrad university. We also can meet books from Wallenrodt library now in storehouses of Poland, Lithuania, Moscow, Petersburg and the Kaliningrad area. To the 750-anniversary of Kaliningrad furniture firm "Maxik" under the order of the Cathedral has executed reconstruction of Wallenrodt library. Reconstruction has been executed on documentary photos, masters by woodcarvers. The stained-glass window «Wallenrodt's Emblem» has been executed by the Kaliningrad masters, and in accuracy repeats that stained-glass window which was here once. Founders of library - father and son Wallenrodt- have received posthumous honor to be buried in the place of honor of rest - in a tomb of the Cathedral. On the internal side of a southern wall of a temple of a place of their burial have been marked by gravestone tables.