1 Library, 10 Cities, 24 Buildings
Did you know that KU Leuven libraries has 24 buildings across 10 cities in Flanders? And that each of them harbors a story you may never have heard?
By KU Leuven Libraries
Created by Zhuo Li, a student from the Cultural Studies Master's Program at KU Leuven
Founded in 1425, Leuven University and its libraries underwent a turbulent history throughout the centuries. Precious collections were taken away, historical buildings disappeared in fire, and each time collections had to be restored.
Our Digital Cultural Heritage collections remember the past, so why don't you hitch a ride and join us to discover more about KU Leuven Libraries and its 24 locations throughout Belgium?
📚 1. The University Library
Both during World War I and as a result of the World War II Battle of Leuven on May 16th, 1940, the University Library was burnt out completely. The building was rebuilt from the ashes and still shines vibrantly on Ladeuze Square today. The library's Special Collections and parts of the Artes collections are located in this iconic building.
Louvain year 1983 (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, TC00052
Overview of Leuven
Have you ever interacted with maps? You will definitely have an amazing trip with Views of Leuven (created by Allison Bearly). Have fun with your time travel there.
Following the map, let us explore more about KU Leuven Libraries!
📚 2. Psychology and Educational Sciences Library
Here, a bird-eye view of another library is revealed. It belongs to both the Michotte Institute of Psychology and the Vives Institute of Educational Sciences. The latter was named after the famous humanist and educator Juan Luis Vives, professor at the Old Leuven University.
📚 3. Agora Learning Centre
Agora Learning Centre was originally designed as a Pharmaceutical Institute or École de Pharmacie by Mgr. Ladeuze in 1918. Construction was delayed due to World War I and the building was officially inaugurated only in 1934, vacated in 2006 and reoccupied by Agora in 2013.
📚 4. Artes Erasmushuis Library
Can you imagine it was a church that made way for the Faculty of Arts' Erasmushuis? Saint Joseph’s Church was built between 1860 and 1871 and was a clear landmark in the Leuven skyline for a century until its demolition in 1966.
Can't believe it? 😉 Just check No.6 on the 1890 map of Leuven.
📚 5. Library of the Institute of Philosophy
1889 marks the birth of the Faculty of Philosophy. During 1968-1983, the Philosophy Library witnessed the split-up of the university and went through other great changes as well. Initially, it was just a reference library with only a few hundred books and limited opening hours. Now there are 5 floors of collections covering various academic disciplines.
📚 6. Law and Criminology Library
This classicist building called 'De Valk' ('The Falcon') dates back to 1781 and served as a military hospital during the 19th century and well beyond World War II. In 1953, the University bought the building to house the Faculty of Law.
Map of Louvain (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, TB00001
Time for a challenge!
Can you imagine just two gates could lead us to the Social Science Library on this map? At the bottom, there is a pizza-slice shaped area, and that is where the current building is.
So here's a challenge: can you find the gates using this high resolution map?
The first gate is at the bottom of the inner ring.The Proefstraatpoort was built between 1156 and 1165, and was demolished in 1754.
And the second gate? It is at the bottom right of the outer circle and is called the Parkpoort (Park Gate). The original gate is gone, but the site remains an open entrance from Heverlee into Leuven, and remains one of the highest points of the ring road of Leuven that surrounds the city today.
📚 7. Social Sciences Library
The Social Sciences Library is just behind our Agora Learning Center, with modern architecture and an attractive red brick appearance.
The Monastery of Heverlense, founded by Duke William de Croy and Aerscot In the year 1521 (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, TB00208
📚 8. Library of Campus Arenberg
A library in a monastery? The church and monastery on this image date from 1526, but in 1819 the church was completely demolished. The duke of Arenberg proposed his estate in Heverlee to be used by the University of Leuven in 1916.
The library is now housed in the cloister.
📚 9. Economics & Business - Campus Leuven Library
Pass this gorgeous entrance and you will find the library hidden in a tranquil green garden. Are you impressed by the Gothic brick façade with rich decoration?
In the 15th century, this building was named "Den Spiegel" ("The Mirror") and was part of the estate of the Van 't Sestich family (1490-1650). Later, it became part of the Hogenheuvel College for the education of priests.
📚 10. Maurits Sabbe Library
The Maurits Sabbe Library is one of the largest and richest theological libraries in the world. It was opened in 1974 and since 2004 it bears the name of the biblical scholar Maurits Sabbe (1924-2004), who was the driving force behind the development of the library.
From the window of the library, visitors can enjoy the greenery view of Leuven's city park, including the old city wall as depicted on one of the many items in our online heritage collections.
Maurits Sabbe Library, the library of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies
📚 11. Artes MATRIX Library
Are you fascinated with new music? Then you will quickly feel at home in MATRIX' extensive collection. MATRIX houses a unique and ever-growing collection of and about art music written since 1950.
MATRIX is located next to the Anatomical Amphitheater, designed by Jacques A. Hustin in 1744 in a late-baroque style with rococo characteristics, as can be seen in the decoration of the cupola.
Close to Artes MATRIX Library
Louvain (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, TA00239
📚 12. Learning Centre Désiré Collen
Unlike other KU Leuven historical institutions, Learning Centre Désiré Collen is outside the Leuven ring road, at UZ Leuven Gasthuisberg Campus. To reach this area most people in old Leuven would have used the Brussels Gate depicted here.
✨ Congratulations!
🚟 You have now visited all 12 library sites in and just outside Leuven!
✨ Aren't you excited about the other 12 institutions throughout 9 other cities spread around Flanders?
Brussels. Panorama (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, GP013202
📚 13. Library Brussels Campus
From this Brussels panorama, we can spot the original location of Brussels Campus library buildings (Artes, Law and Economics). This postcard shows its strategic location, residing in between the city hall (spire on the right) and St Michael & St Gudula Cathedral.
📚 14. 2Bergen Sint-Lucas Brussels Campus Library
Saint Mary's Royal Church stands as a reminder of the past. Walking further down the street, you will find our library of Sint-Lucas Campus Brussels, which specializes in architecture, urbanism & spatial planning, and building engineering. In the mid-nineties, the architecture and interior architecture program moved from the neo-gothic Sint-Lukas buildings to the modernist 'Meurop' building.
Close to the library of Sint-Lucas Brussels Campus
📚 15. Economics & Business - Campus Antwerp Library
Neighboring St. Charles Borromeo Church, the most important Baroque Church in the low countries, KU Leuven Economics & Business Campus Antwerp Library enjoys the historical sphere of the church's dynamic façade, refined interior, two stories, and the sublime building. From every direction of our library building, one of Europe’s finest examples of Baroque tower construction, the 58-meters-tall Rubens’ Tower, can be seen.
Ghent. The Rabot (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, GP031185
📚 16. Ghent Technology Campus Library
KU Leuven students share their library collections with Odisee on the Ghent Technology Campus. Nearby is the Rabot city quarter, a centuries-old part of Ghent. It is dominated by a fortified control lock on the Lieve-canal, the spot Maximilian's army in 1488 besieged the city.
📚 17. 2Bergen Technical Documentation Centre Ghent
Our current library site is a former Dominican Abbey and was restored in 2002 by architects De Witte and Claeys who won the monument prize for the result. Throughout its history, the grounds were a leprosarium (1146), a Benedictine Abbey (1623) and a Dominican monastery (1845).
In the picture below, we can see the appearance of the Hoogstraat today and a century ago. The entrance of our library is just a few steps away.
Close to Technical Documentation Centre Ghent
📚 18. 2Bergen Campus Bruges Library
The 2bergen Campus Bruges Library sits just next to Bruges' railway station, which opened on 12 August 1838, when King Leopold I and Queen Louise-Marie arrived at the same time. Everyone passing the station would easily notice this white modern campus building.
Take your chance to discover the modern library located just in front of the old station. Click and you will have a virtual tour.
Close to 2Bergen Campus Bruges Library
📚 19. Artes Antwerp Library
📚 KU Leuven Libraries Artes in Antwerp is located at Sint-Jacobsmarkt 49/51. The postcards reveal the sharp social contrast in civic life. From the left hand, one feels the historical presence of St. James' Church, which remained the same to this day, close to patrician houses. On the right, one can feel the contrast with a depiction of a street in this very same city quarter.
Close to Artes Antwerp Library
Aalst. Regelsbrugge Castle (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, GP001010
📚 20. 2Bergen Aalst Campus Library
Across the road of our 2Bergen Aalst Campus Library, there is the Castle of Regelsbrugge. Its name refers to a small bridge dated back to c. 1395. Both the castle and our campus site are on the border between the city of Aalst and the Parish of Nieuwerkerken.
📚 21. Campus Kulak Library
Did you know that the street of the Campus Kulak Library is named after a General State Archivist, Etienne Sabbe?
His publication about flax production, a key industry in Kortrijk in the 19th century, is still in our collection. Feel free to check it out here!
Province of Limburg. (date unknown)Original Source: KU Leuven Libraries 2Bergen - Campus Arenberg, PRECC007 179kada(1)
📚 22. 2Bergen Campus Diepenbeek Library
Discover Diepenbeek on this old map, where our vibrant new campus library is located. The KU Leuven Diepenbeek Campus Library is part of 2Bergen, and holds collections in the domains of the Science, Engineering, and Technology Group and the Biomedical Sciences Group.
📚 23. 2Bergen De Nayer (Sint-Katelijne-Waver) Campus Library
The library on the De Nayer Campus offers various services for consulting in-house collections as well as collections from other libraries. In the surroundings of our library is the Fort of Duffel, which was built in 1886 and was part of a larger fortification belt defending Antwerp.
Close to 2Bergen De Nayer Campus Library
📚24. 2Bergen Geel Campus Library
In Geel, we share the library with Thomas More, which is part of the KU Leuven Association. In Geel town center stands the Sint-Dymphna Church which was built during 1349-1570 and is a beautiful example of Demergotic architecture.
This exhibition was created by Zhuo Li, a student of the Cultural Studies Master's program at KU Leuven, aiming to bring KU Leuven Libraries' precious digitized cultural heritage to a wider public.
This project wouldn't have been possible without the help and guidance of Nele Gabriëls, Hendrik Hameeuw, Mark Verbrugge, Bruno Vandermeulen, and the rest of the KU Leuven Library's digitization team.
For several years, KU Leuven Libraries has been working on the digitization of its collections, creating exciting opportunities for easy access to and for discovery of the collection by a broad range of patrons, ranging from the wider public to students, educators and researchers. All of the images and other data can be accessed through the public catalogue and search platform LIMO.
All the materials used above are from KU Leuven Libraries Collections, including digitized items from the 9th up to the 20th century.
