The famous library of Pannonhalma Abbey

In the 1800s the design of the library building was entrusted to Joseph Engel, then John Packh. Entering the classicist building, we can see a layout of a basilica with its elliptical transept. On the ceiling of the dome towering above us, a painting by Josef Klieber depicts the goddess Minerva. There are also two statues of the artist at the end of the great hall, one depicting King Saint Stephen and the other King Francis I. The interior of the huge, high-rise building is flooded with sunlight by the windows on the tower and above the side rooms, illuminating the portraits of Greek and Roman scholars and poets hanging on the wall. A series of Hungarian portraits can be seen on the ceiling. The bookshelves are the handiwork of local master carpenters. 

The modern history of the library can be traced back to 1802, the time of the restoration of the Benedictine order. The first records referring to the library date back more than a thousand years, so except for a few interruptions, it is the oldest and most valuable art collection in the country. The library now consists of approximately 400,000 volumes compared to the original 70-80 codices. In terms of topics, the collection includes every conceivable scientific discipline. The language is more often Latin, but the books were also written in Hungarian, French and German. After the restoration of the Benedictine order, the library also made great strides, it began to prosper, and the collection reached its great size through purchases, collections and legacies. The Abbey, its library and its spiritual value was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. 

Among the library's most outstanding works are eighteen codices, including a complete Bible from the 13th century, and the beautifully-decorated evangelistarium made for the first archbishop, Máté Tolnai, is also of outstanding significance: the latter is the earliest manuscript in Pannonhalma, the 16th century, Pannonhalma Evangelistarium.

The Benedictine order fulfilled and still fulfil not only religious but also educational and nurturing tasks today. In any case, it encouraged the members of the order to enrich the collection of books, for which the construction of the library was essential after some time. Intellectual growth, which was one of the pursuits of the reform era, motivated teachers to build the library of the Archabbey of Pannonhalma, which is now considered to be one of the most significant libraries in Hungary. The assets found here also require special attention and protection. The curators must ensure that the book collection is up-to-date, versatile and accessible electronically. The library is developing and expanding its services with state-of-the-art telematics tools. Stock protection or restoration is provided from other sources, sometimes through tenders. This year, due to a legacy, one of the most successful and popular works of the 16th century, the Czech-language copy of Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia, published in 1554, has been restored. Earlier, support was sought for the restoration of the 15th-century Pfannberg Missale Codex. Finally, the local government of Győr-Moson-Sopron County took on this task. They are constantly striving to digitize the valuable, rare documents of the collection so that they can be preserved for posterity by all means.