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35 years of the Brehm Library: A celebration of German culture in the castle!
Bad Arolsen celebrates 35 years of the Brehm Foundation Library with a ceremony. Tours, lectures and digital offers await visitors.
35 years of the Brehm Library: A celebration of German culture in the castle!
The celebratory ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the Brehm Foundation library in the Bad Arolsen residential palace once again showed how much the region owes to education and culture. On June 17, 2025, numerous guests celebrated the development of this special institution, which has been a valuable part of cultural life in Bad Arolsen since its founding in 1990. The library, named after the Swiss collector and donor Adolf Brehm, offers a unique insight into the literature and book art of the German-speaking area from several centuries and is now housed in 16 rooms.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Hartmut Wecker, in his speech, focused on the impressive development of the library, which continues to prosper even after Brehm's death in 2022, where he died at the proud age of 95. Brehm's mission was to create an institution that represented German culture and language development. The legacy of this philosophy is continued here, because the Brehm Foundation also sees itself as a museum on the history of printing and book art.
Insights into a diverse collection
The library houses an impressive collection of around 44,000 historical books and exhibits. These include valuable manuscripts, medieval documents as well as autographs and private documents of important historical personalities. The subject areas range from religion, natural sciences, history to literary history and printing.
A special highlight are the regular expert tours, which give visitors deeper insights into the collection. These are offered during regular opening hours and outside upon request. Anyone interested in the diverse aspects of book art can also take part in the various lecture events that take place several times a year.
Bad Arolsen Cultural Center
City councilor Ludger Brinkmann brought greetings from the city of Bad Arolsen during the ceremony and underlined the importance of this library for the local community. The library's financial resources are secured until 2034, which also facilitates future planning and the expansion potential for online offerings that make the book collection accessible worldwide. In fact, the digital offerings are an important step in making the valuable collection accessible to a broader public.
The library is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on weekends by appointment. The enjoyable atmosphere, equipped with antique furniture, art objects and historical lamps, offers visitors not only a place of knowledge, but also a meeting point for those interested in culture of all ages. Consequently, the Brehm Library is not only a place for books, but also a lively center for encounters and dialogue.
Rosmarie Hafner, Adolf Brehm's long-time partner, also spoke about her relationship with him and emphasized his sometimes perfectionistic approaches, which initially prevented him from opening the library. All of these aspects make the Brehm Library a special institution that will continue to play an important role in the cultural life of Bad Arolsen in the future. For more information and details about the history and the offerings of the Brehm Library, you can read the articles on HNA and Bad Arolsen read up.