Johannes a Lasco Library

The Johannes a Lasco Bibliothek in Emden is a public special library and educational centre focused on the humanities and theology. It stands on the site of the ruined Great Church, destroyed in 1943, whose medieval nave was rebuilt after 1992. The building now houses bookshelves, reading rooms and a large hall used for concerts and lectures. Its collections centre on the history and theology of Reformed Protestantism, early modern confessional change and the regional history of East Friesland. Among its treasures are volumes once owned by Erasmus of Rotterdam, Johannes a Lasco and Albert Ritzaeus Hardenberg. A separate room displays the 2,000-title collection bequeathed by merchant Johann Philipp Janssen, including twenty incunabula and notable 16th-century prints. Visitors enter through the reconstructed nave, whose modern industrial elements sit beside Gothic arches. The hall seats up to 400 and is praised for its acoustics. Temporary exhibitions, scholarly talks and musical performances take place throughout the year. Outside, the library overlooks Emden’s market square, linking past and present in a single view.