Founded in 1572 by a German Duke, the Herzog August Library had become the largest library north of the Alps and one of the
largest libraries in Europe by the 17th century. The library holds more than 900,000 books, more than a third of which were
printed between the 15th and 18th centuries. Also called Bibliotheca Augusta, the library is internationally known for its
extensive collection of books and manuscripts from the Middle Ages and early modern Europe.