In 2017 parts of the building Carolina Rediviva were to be renovated. In preparation for this, a decision was made to move the library’s Exhibition Hall, which had been located in the northern part of the building since 1917, to the south side and redesign it. At the same time, the existing permanent exhibition, Expo Rediviva, would be closed and replaced.
Inauguration of the new Exhibition Hall took place on 14 June 2019 in conjunction with celebration of the 350th anniversary of the magnificent donation of manuscripts by University Chancellor Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie. The donation was given to the University Library on 14 June 1669 and included the treasure of all treasures, Codex Argenteus.
The new permanent exhibition includes three showcases on the right side of the hall (seen from the entrance) and three separate artefacts – the Codex Argenteus, Carta Marina and the Map of Mexico-Tenochtitlán. The exhibition is chronological, with the first showcase covering the period up to 1500, the second up to 1700 and the third to around 1900.
The texts in this catalogue have been written jointly by the book’s editors. However, many of the texts are based on information and formulations by several generations of librarians before us. Much of the material in the exhibition has been described in articles and shown in exhibitions before. In this way, a body of knowledge has been built up within the Library.