Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library

The Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library stands on the charming Hendrik Conscience Square in the heart of Antwerp, a fitting location for one of Belgium’s most important repositories of printed heritage. (Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library | Erfgoed Hendrik Conscience (consciencebibliotheek.be)

Within the library, the Nottebohm Room is a true hidden gem. There’s a magical quality to this historic space — the moment you step inside, the silence is broken only by the soft creak of the parquet floor beneath your feet. Tall wooden bookshelves rise along the walls, filled with some 120,000 rare books and manuscripts. The library’s collection of early printed works is especially significant, having grown steadily over the course of five centuries.
Since 1936, the Nottebohm Room has served as a distinguished showroom, and it is now open to the public from 22 April until 10 September, offering visitors a rare chance to experience one of Antwerp’s most enchanting literary spaces.

The 17th‑century hall in which the Nottebohm Room is now located was originally used as a meeting and prayer space for religious brotherhoods. In those days, its interior was adorned with magnificent Baroque paintings by masters such as Rubens and Van Dyck, adding a sense of grandeur to the devotional gatherings held there.

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