Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek (American Memorial Library) is one of the largest public libraries in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It was a donation from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 after the Berlin Blockade

Berlin Blockade

The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first resulting in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied...

, which took place in 1948/49. The building was designed by American and German architects, including Fritz Bornemann

Fritz Bornemann

Fritz Bornemann was a German architect.- Life and works :Bornemann studied architecture at the Technical University of Berlin. After graduating in 1936, he was Assistant Scenic Designer at the Berlin Municipal Opera and, starting in 1945, Construction Supervisor with the city of Berlin...

 and Willy Kreuer. It was opened on September 17, 1954 and was originally planned to become the Central Library of Berlin. With the construction of the Berlin Wall and the separation of the German capital in 1962, this concept lapsed. On its 50th birthday, the library was honored for having been a symbol of freedom in times of political instability and the divided country. Today, the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek, the Berliner Stadtbibliothek (BStB) located at Breite Strasse (since 1995) and the Senatsbibliothek located at Strasse des 17. Juni (since 2005) form the foundation Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin

Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin

right|thumb|ZLBZentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin is a foundation that encompasses the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek and the Berliner Stadtbibliothek. It was founded on October 1, 1995. Since January 1, 2005, it also owns the Senatsbibliothek Berlin and the Berliner Gesamtkatalog. The foundation...

 (ZLB).

Collections

The Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek hosts collections of the humanities and social sciences. Special collections that enrich the basic portfolio include “Berolinensien”, old children's books, the Kleist Archive, the Arno Holz Archive, the Willibald Alexis Archive, music of the USA and “Kunst der jungen Generation” (“Young Generation’s Art”).

Children's Library

The children's library and its youth department, “Hallescher Komet”, is named after the library’s location at the metro station Hallesches Tor. The Youth Information Center offers advice, entertainment, and information regarding routine problems. Additionally, extracurricular leisure time facilities and a variety of courses, including homework support, are provided, in addition to the pro bono

Pro bono

Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...

legal service and the “How to write an application” course.

External links

• www.zlb.de http://www.zlb.de
• www.voebb.de http://www.voebb.de
• www.voebb24.de http://www.voebb24.de