State Hall currently closedPrecaution in connection with the corona virus
Close up of the ceiling frescoFascinating gigapixel photography by Google
The baroque world in the State Hall
What comes to mind when you think of a library hall? Enter the State Hall of the Austrian National Library and your expectations are guaranteed to be exceeded.
Feel the essence of history.
The State Hall – built in the 18th century as part of the former Court Library – is a nearly 80 metres long and 20 metres high. An intricately decorated dome and numerous frescos provide an imperial flair. This baroque jewel is home to over 200,000 tomes. Four magnificent Venetian globes, each with a diameter of over one metre, provide the finishing touch to the heart of the Austrian National Library.
The Austrian National Library is currently closed due to official requirements. This precaution in connection with the corona virus affects both the Library at Heldenplatz, the departments and museums. We are very pleased to inform you, that some devisions of the Austrian National Library will be able to open again soon: On Friday, May 29, the State Hall and the Literature Museum will reopen, on Wednesday, July 1, the House of Austrian History and the Papyrus, Globe and Esperanto Museum will follow. We will inform you as soon as further details – including the reading rooms and departments – are known.
After reopening the museums, the Austrian National Library extends all currently valid annual tickets for the museums automatically and free of charge for the duration of the corona-related closing time. Likewise, the validity of all Bundesmuseen Cards that were active when the Federal Museums and State Hall were closed will automatically be extended by the duration of the closing time.
The staff of the information services are happy to answer any questions: The e-mail information@onb.ac.at and the Live Chat on the homepage of the Austrian National Library are open from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
We ask for your understanding that all events until the end of June are cancelled. We will provide information on all other events on time on this website.
The current special exhibition »Beethoven. World of the Man and Spark of the Gods will be extended from May 29 to January 10, 2021 and can thus be seen in the State Hall for the entire Beethoven anniversary year. The exhibition » The Danube. A journey into the past was therefore postponed to spring 2021. The new special exhibition in the Literature Museum » Utopias and Apocalypses. The Invention of the Future in Literature will be shown from October 8, 2020 to April 25, 2021.