Specialist research library

The library holdings continued to grow after the dissolution of the abbey in 1805. The Abbey Library holds about 190 current subscriptions to serials and 210 to journals. Moreover, between 800 and 900 monographs are added each year on the following core themes:

– monastery and territorial abbey of St Gall
– publications on the holdings of the Abbey Library
– publications by the Diocese and the Catholic Denomination Within the Canton of St.Gallen
– Catholic parish journals from the Canton of St.Gallen
– Orders, monasteries and their history (especially the Benedictine Order)
– palaeography and the study of medieval manuscripts
– manuscript catalogues (especially Europe)
– medieval cultural history of Europe
– Catholic church history, especially of Switzerland
– history of canon law in the Middle Ages
– medieval music history
– medieval Latin and Early German philology
– Catholic theologica
– Catholic Church history, in particular in Switzerland
– ancillary historical sciences
– history of art/building history of the Middle Ages
– St.Gallen history and history of the Lake Constance region
– historical geography and cartography
– book studies, especially preservation
– museum/museum education

The literature collected in these fields covers the full spectrum from highly specialised academic research through popular non-fiction to novels and thrillers. The Abbey Library’s new acquisitions from the last two months can be seen here.