The Historical Library is a scientific reference library and belongs to the collection of the Museum of Güstrow.
It has been located on the upper floor of the Uwe Johnson Library since 1997 and is available to interested users for research purposes after registration.

It contains approx. 1,500 titles as historical holdings and a total of approx. 17,000 titles.
Since 2014 the holdings have been successively recatalogued - since 2017 the historical holdings from the 16th to the middle of the 19th century have been searchable via the GVK. For the newer holdings, an enquiry must be made on site.

The holdings go back to several roots (handset, remainders of the cathedral school library, donations, bequests, purchases). It is divided into three main groups: German history, Mecklenburg history, Güstrovensia (literature related to Güstrow by content, author, publisher or print).

The oldest root is the princely cathedral school in Güstrow. 1552 by Duke Johann Albrecht I. (1525-1576), it was initially a Protestant scholar's library, from 1804 it was transformed into a lending library for teachers and pupils. In 1853 the collection grew to 15,000 volumes after two private libraries in Güstrow had been purchased and included in the collection. With an estimated 60,000 volumes, the library was the largest of its kind in Mecklenburg around 1900. Three major acquisitions by the library of the Heimatmuseum formed the basis of today's Historical Library: after the construction of the Realgymnasium in Güstrow between 1903 and 1905, as well as after the First World War and between 1945 and 1953. After 1950 the Museum Library was reorganised by the Latin teacher and local history researcher Wilhelm Gernentz (1890-1969) together with other holdings from the Heimatmuseum, cultural associations and private libraries in Güstrow. This library was now kept as a collection of cultural history. It was extended by donations, purchases and selected copies of the public library, the House of Culture and the Pedagogical Institute with collection reference to the Güstrovensia.

Address: 

Barlachstadt Güstrow - Abteilung Marketing, Kultur, Tourismus
Historische Bibliothek 
Am Wall 2
18273 Güstrow
Phone: +49 3843 769 465 
E-Mail: historische.bibliothek@guestrow.de