Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Philological Library

The Philological Library is a component of the "Rust and Silver Lodges" complex in the main campus of the Freie Universität Berlin. It was designed by internationally known architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank in the shape of a human brain, and opened in 2005. The library merges the separate smaller libraries of the departments and institutes of humanities and now contains:General and Comparative literature Byzantine/ Modern Greek studies English studies German studies Comparative and Indo-European Linguistics Classics Dutch Linguistics and Literature Indian Linguistics and Literature/ South Asian Studies Latin American Studies Medieval Latin Language and Literature Philosophy Romance studies Slavic studies

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
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Citations
Source
Philological Library of Freie Universität Berlin
Map
52°27′07″N 13°17′18″E / 52.45194°N 13.28833°E / 52.45194; 13.28833
LocationDahlem, Berlin
TypeAcademic library
Established2005
Branches11
Collection
Size800,000 volumes
Other information
Websitewww.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/philbib/index.html

The Philological Library (German: Philologische Bibliothek) is a component of the "Rust and Silver Lodges" complex in the main campus of the Freie Universität Berlin. It was designed by internationally known architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank in the shape of a human brain, and opened in 2005. The library merges the separate smaller libraries of the departments and institutes of humanities and now contains:

It has become the centerpiece of the university's Dahlem campus and a Berlin architectural landmark.

External links