Since its foundation in 1913, the former Institute of Architectural History has had its own library, which was one of the largest institute libraries in the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at the end of the last century. In 2001, its holdings were incorporated into the newly founded faculty library.
However, around 250 particularly important historical volumes from the 17th to 20th centuries remained at ifag and form a separate sub-collection there today. With their wide range of content, from the most famous early modern architectural treatises to important antique publications of the 18th and 19th centuries and rare special editions of the modern era, they form a representative cross-section of the five-hundred-year history of printed architectural books.
In 2021, the online exhibition 'Book Architectures. A virtual look at the historical holdings of the Institute of Architectural History'‘ which presents the collection and its history virtually using selected volumes.
All exhibits were digitised for the exhibition by Stuttgart University Library and can be freely accessed online via the Digibus portal.
The University Library also supports the cataloguing and conservation of the valuable collection with technical and organisational expertise.