The University of Vienna Library is much older than it seems, although it has undergone several renovations and changed location more than once. Construction of the main library began in 1365, making it the oldest in the German-speaking area. Y, Like everything that is so old, it has a very interesting history: as the Ottoman wars ravaged Europe and plagues swept across the continent, the university and its libraries suffered. It was not until 1756 that the Jesuit monastery took over the few remains of the university library and merged it with the holdings of the imperial court library, finally saving it.
Another appreciator of the written word, Empress Maria Teresa, decided to reopen the university library, and on May 13, 1777, she fulfilled her promise. Yes indeed, the most valuable books were left in their new home within the court library.
