Iron Library – Schlatt, Switzerland - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Iron Library

Schlatt, Switzerland

Everything from alchemy books to building plans for the Eiffel Tower are housed inside this museum.  

View all photos
Eisenbibliothek Iron Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
Eisenbibliothek Iron Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
Eisenbibliothek Iron Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
More of the old and rare books collection. TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace (Atlas Obscura User)
The oldest book in the library. TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace (Atlas Obscura User)
4
84
Top Places in Switzerland
Bärengraben
Bern, Switzerland
Gotthard Base Tunnel
Bodio, Switzerland
Juliertheatre
Surses, Switzerland
 See All

The Iron Library is a true hidden gem. This special collection holds some of the world’s oldest and rarest books about the history of iron metallurgy, science, and technology. It’s located in the beautiful old Paradise Convent, the grounds of which are on the banks of the Upper Rhine.

The library was founded in 1948 by Georg Fischer Ltd. and has one of the world’s largest private collections in its subject area. The original collection at the library focused on works about iron and steel, but it has grown to include physics, mathematics, alchemy, natural history, and engineering.

There are over 47,000 books covering 750 years, many of them from the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. These include medieval manuscripts with writings by Aristotle, a copy of Isaac Newton’s Principia (1687), and building plans for the Eiffel Tower just to name a few 

Know Before You Go

The Paradise Convent is located 15 minutes walk from Langwiesen train station. The library is open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. Visits have to be booked in advance (emails to [email protected]). Tours are given by the librarian and last between 45 minutes and an hour.

books science museums
Community Contributors
TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace
Added by
TravelerOfBothTimeandSpace
linkogecko
Edited by
linkogecko
Published
May 25, 2022
Edit this listing
Make an Edit Add Photos
Nearby
Büsingen Enclave
1.10 miles
Museum Stemmler
2.12 miles
Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen (House of the Golden Ox) Oriel
2.19 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Busingen on the shore of the Rhine
Büsingen am Hochrhein, Germany

Büsingen Enclave

A remarkable two-country morph, this town is part of Germany legally but is by all other measures Swiss.
Museum Stemmler
Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Museum Stemmler

This taxidermilogical collection was assembled by a peltmonger turned animal activist.
Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen (House of the Golden Ox) Oriel

Explore the five senses depicted on this protruding Gothic window.
Sauschwänzlebahn.
Blumberg, Germany

Sauschwänzlebahn

A historic steam train meanders along one of the most scenic rail routes in Germany's Black Forest.
Related Places
Leuven, Belgium

Museum voor Dierkunde

This 19th-century zoological collection has withstood the test of time.
Norman, Oklahoma

National Weather Museum

This enthusiast-led facility is the only museum in the country dedicated to the preservation of weather artifacts.
Geneva, Switzerland

Musée d'Histoire des Sciences (Museum of History of Science)

A treasure trove of scientific instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Tallinn, Estonia

Banned Books Museum

This free museum is building a collection of books that are banned, censored or burnt around the world.
Appears in 1 List
The clock tower on the Suitengu side.
List

Our Favorite New Places of 2022

We added more than 1,500 places to the Atlas this year, and these are a few of our favorites.
Atlas Obscura December 23, 2022
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web