The 2026 calendar of the ELTE University Library and Archives features a selection of images of the Library Palace.
On 26 March 1876, in the presence of Ágoston Trefort, Minister of Religion and Public Education, and Károly Than, University Rector, the new building of Hungary’s first state-maintained university library was ceremonially opened. Construction of the building, the first in the country to be built specifically for library purposes, began in the spring of 1873, based on the plans of architect Antal Szkalniczky (1836–1878), following the conclusion of decades of litigation over the site. The main requirement for the design was to ensure that the building’s exterior and interior decoration reflected the purpose of the institution, to accommodate the ever-growing collection of books, and to enable the university’s lecturers, students and interested members of the public in the capital to „make the most practical and thorough use of the scientific treasures accumulated within it.” Created by the most renowned and talented artists and craftsmen of the era, the building has suffered major damage twice during its 150-year existence: during World War II, the glass roof covering the Baroque Reading Room with its gallery was destroyed, and then in 1973, the building almost split in two due to the construction of the subway, with restoration only taking place in the mid-1990s. The library palace was declared a protected monument in 1991 and was awarded the Hungarian Heritage Prize in 2018. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the opening, the building still serves its original purpose today, as it is a popular destination for university students wishing to research or study. Nearly a hundred thousand visitors are drawn to the library each year to use the collection of two million volumes. An electronic version of the calendar is available here.
The representative wall calendar was published under the management of the Prime Minister’s Office, with the support of the National Cooperation Fund, the Bethlen Gábor Fund Management Ltd. and the Foundation for the University Library.
For information about the support options of the Foundation for the University Library, please, visit our website. Further details about our book adoption program are available here.
