A Museum For World Literature From Austria – Where Austrian Booksellers Meet on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day 2015!

Johann Nestroy, Arthur Schnitzler, Franz Kafka, Ilse Aichinger, Ingeborg Bachmann, Thomas Bernhard and the “word acrobat” Ernst Jandl – these are only some Austrian authors of worldwide renown whose letters, works and creativity will be presented in the Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library. From 18 April 2015 onwards, when the new established museum will be officially opened, it will document the history of Austrian literature with books, manuscripts, letters, drawings, photographs and unique objects such as Jandl’s director’s chair, text sketches for Robert Musil’s novel of the century “Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften” or a model for the “Rose house” from Adalbert Stifter’s novel “Der Nachsommer”.

Located at Johannesgasse 6 in the first district of Vienna, the museum’s historical building was constructed in 1848, the year of the Revolution, as the Archive of the Austro-Hungarian Exchequer, the central authority of the Habsburg Empire. It is the ideal place for a literature museum for a purely literary reason: the Austrian dramatist Franz Grillparzer served as Archive Director in these premises until 1856. His office has been preserved in its original condition and is now an integral part of the building.

The focus of the new Literature Museum lies on the authors and on the conditions of literary life in Austria from the Enlightenment and Biedermeier, Fin de Siècle, the 1920s and exile up to the 20th century. The museum will show the historical background of Austrian literature in all its European dimensions as well as its aesthetic qualities, its affinity to music and the fine arts.

24 hours of ILAB Pop Up Fairs across the world on April 23, 2015! This is how the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) will celebrate this year’s UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. When the ILAB booksellers will “pop up” at the most attractive and unusual places from Australia to Asia, South Africa, Europe and America, you will meet the Austrian colleagues in Vienna at this most suitable place for booklovers: in the foyer of the former “Hofkammer-Archiv” and office of Franz Grillparzer, now the new Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library.

JOIN US! CELEBRATE THE WORLD OF LTERACY IN VIENNA, ONE OF THE CRADLES OF MODERN EUROPEAN ART AND LITERATURE!

THURSDAY 23 APRIL – 5 to 8 pm

Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library
Johannesgasse 6
1010 Vienna, AUSTRIA

LET’S PUT THE R A R E IN THE UNESCO WORLD BOOK & COPYRIGHT DAY!

>>> Learn more

AUSTRALIA - JAPAN - SOUTH AFRICA - RUSSIA - HUNGARY - AUSTRIA - GERMANY - ITALY - SPAIN - NETHERLANDS - UNITED KINGDOM - USA ...

>>> ... and anywhere else in the world where you decide to be a part of it!

SCHOOLS NEED BOOKS - Help UNESCO to realize the vision of a literate world for all!

>>> Support literacy and fill the bookcases on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April 2015

(Pictures: Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library, UNESCO, ILAB)