Ten days before the official reopening of the History Library at Heinrichstraße 28 on 11 March, the team is still hard at work. At first glance, everything looks finished. The shelves are in place, the green carpet has been laid, and the tables, chairs and lamps have been assembled. However, Schober is aware of the outstanding issues. "We are systematically putting the last books on the shelves. That takes time. In addition, minor optimisations are still necessary," says the director with a smile. In July 2025, the move of around 200,000 volumes to a temporary storage facility in Andritz began. After that, the construction companies gutted the ageing rooms. Within eight months, modern library spaces were created. In February, it was decided that the library would open to users in time for the start of the summer semester.
The library was originally located on the fourth floor. After the renovation, it now occupies 750 square metres on two floors. In addition, there is 60 square metres of gallery space. The office space is the same size. "The exposed wooden staircase connects the third and fourth floors. It's my personal highlight," says Schober. "We thermally renovated 50 façade windows and upgraded them to be more energy efficient. We also connected the rooms to the building's ventilation system." The system ensures a pleasant climate in both summer and winter. Half of the costs of around one million euros were covered by the university, while 50 per cent are refinanced through the rental agreements with the owner, Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft.
132 workstations are now available to users, 90 more than before the renovation. A lounge area allows for conversation at a normal volume. A spacious reading room is also suitable for events. The innovations are not only architectural. "In the course of the restructuring, we also integrated the holdings of the Southeast European History Department from Mozartgasse," says Schober. This means that users can find literature on history in one location.
Grand opening day
On 11 March 2026, Felicitas Schober's team will be offering insights into the new premises at Heinrichstraße 28 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They will be offering advice and special tours. At the "soft opening" on the evening before, the student representatives will be showing a film in the new reading room.
With the reopening of the History Library on Heinrichstraße, students of the Bachelor's programme in History at the University of Graz now have a modern learning and research hub at their disposal. >> Find out more about the
programme now
Further information on the new specialist library can be found on the website.