HAB Summer Festival / Cultural Festival of the Herzog August Bibliothek

Herzog August Bibliothek — World Heritage in Wolfenbüttel

The Herzog August Bibliothek was founded in the 17th century by Duke August the Younger (1579–1666) and is considered one of the most important libraries of the early modern period. With its approximately 11,800 manuscripts, 3,500 incunabula, and over one million printed works from the 16th to 19th centuries, it is a research institution of international renown. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing worked here as a librarian from 1770 to 1781 — Wolfenbüttel owes its nickname "Lessingstadt" to this bibliographical-literary tradition.

Cultural Festival with Many Facets

The HAB Summer Festival is designed as a multi-layered format. Musical contributions — from chamber music and vocal ensembles to thematic concerts — are interwoven with readings from historical holdings, guided tours of the stacks and display collections, and presentations of current research projects. The combination of scholarship, art, and conviviality makes the day a special experience for everyone who wants to get to know the HAB as a vibrant center of knowledge culture.

Opening to a Broad Audience

While the HAB is primarily a place for research and study in everyday life, the summer festival consciously opens up to a broad audience: families, schoolchildren, friends of the city and the library, and day visitors from the region. With an accessible program and dedicated staff, the HAB conveys the fascination of its treasures and makes it clear that historical book culture is not a preserve of specialists, but a shared cultural heritage.