János Mogyoróssy Municipal Library

180 years of community service

The János Mogyoróssy Municipal Library of Gyula is one of the most beautiful public libraries in Hungary. Its history dates back to 1836, when the estate manager of the Wenckheim manor donated approximately 300 books to the city. In 1968, the library was named after János Mogyoróssy, and in 1970 it was granted the title of ’Library of Excellence.’ The present-day building was constructed in 1861 by the architect József Nuszbek. Before this, the building was home to the town hall until 1949 and then a Romanian secondary grammar school until 1981. The municipal library was moved to this elegant building in 1987 and was given an architectural award in 1988. Visitors can find a collection of almost 130,000 items, including a collection of Romanian books; and a German reading room, which was established in partnership with the Goethe Institute; a children's library; a music and film library; a local history collection; a newspaper and magazine area with more than 200 publications; and the ornate Simonyi Reading Room, which offers a pleasant and stimulating experience. Services, besides lending books and films include photocopying, printing, scanning and free internet access. A remarkable feature of the library is that the stylish interiors display a wide variety of artworks.