There is no better place for unique books and special collections than the Heritage Library. We therefore welcome donations that will complement our existing collection with open arms.
You may scan, copy or photograph some items from our collection yourself. Alternatively, you can request a high-quality scan from our reproduction service.
Two of the masterpieces in the collection of the Nottebohm Room are Blaeu’s celestial and terrestrial globes. Our online exhibition discusses their history, their maker, their relevance and their restoration.
The celestial and terrestrial globes of Willem Jansz. Blaeu (1571-1638) were in the 17th century praised as progressive creations in the field of cartographic techniques. The globes now at the Heritage Library were in 1836 gifted by Baron de Pret de Terveken to the City of Antwerp.
In January 1836, Baron de Pret de Terveken, mayor of Hemiksem and a well-known Maecenas, donated a celestial and a terrestrial globe to the City of Antwerp.
Through an online application, you now get the chance to watch the Blaeu-globes from the Nottebohm Room even closer. The digital tool allows to rotate the globes and to zoom in on the wonderful details.
The Nottebohm Room in the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library is named after the Antwerp patron Oscar Nottebohm (1865-1935). This particular descendant of the Nottebohm family was a grandson of Diederich Wilhelm Nottebohm who moved to Antwerp from Bielefeld in 1811.
