The Wróblewski Library is one of the most important scientific institutions in Vilnius. Its history dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century, and its founder was Tadeusz Stanislaw Wróblewski - a prominent advocate and bibliophile who for decades collected valuable book collections, manuscripts, maps and archival documents. His collection and also his efforts to institutionalise the library made it an important scientific and cultural centre. What were the beginnings of this remarkable institution like?

Establishment of the Wróblewski Library
The Wróblewski Library in Vilnius was established as a result of the long-term collecting activities of Tadeusz Stanislaw Wróblewski (1858-1925), a well-known lawyer, bibliophile and collector in Vilnius. He devoted a significant part of his life to collecting both archival material and prints or engravings, as well as books. He inherited his love of books, which accompanied him from an early age, from his father Eustachy Wroblewski, a homeopathic doctor, and his mother Emilia Beniowska-Wróblewska. He gathered his private collection in his flat at 9 University Street in Vilnius.

Tadeusz Wróblewski not only increased his collection by purchasing individual publications, but also bought entire libraries belonging to the aristocracy and intellectuals whose estates were declining due to political and economic turmoil. One of the largest purchases was the 1907 acquisition of the library collection of Count Henrik Broel-Plater, owner of the Pustyń estate (Pustyń, now in t his place is the Latvian village of Robežnieki). This library, comprising more than 6,000 volumes, is - due to its importance - one of the most valuable elements of the collection, although the transaction itself was not without controversy - Plater hid some of the valuable books, which he later tried to sell at Hieronim Wilder's antique shop in Warsaw.

The growing collection and the desire to institutionalise it led Wróblewski to decide to create a public library, available to scholars, students and anyone interested in literature and history. In 1912, the Eustachy and Emilia Wróblewski Library was formally established, with its statute stipulating that the collection would remain in Vilnius and be open to the public. At the same time, Tadeusz Wróblerwski began efforts to build a separate building for the library. This began with the purchase of a plot of land at the junction of what was then Mostowa and Vilnius Streets, a transaction that took place between 1912 and 1914 with the ceding of part of the plot. The first design for the library was commissioned from Czesław Przybylski, but this proved too expensive, and another from Krzyżanowski. However, a new plot of land was eventually acquired together with the unfinished building of the Book Society, and work on adaptation and preparation for expansion continued until the 1920s.

When the collection became public, it was one of the largest and most valuable private collections of books and historical documents in Vilnius, numbering some 65,000 volumes, as well as numerous manuscripts, maps, ephemeral prints and archives.

Collection in 1912
The basis of the book collection consisted of rare and valuable publications on history, law, literature, philosophy and social sciences. The library had numerous old prints, including works published as far back as the 15th-16th centuries, as well as a collection of books bound in exclusive superexhibits, a trace of the former palace libraries. Manuscripts and autographs, as well as archival documents, were a very valuable part of the library from the beginning. Tadeusz Wróblewski also attached great importance to letters. It is estimated that there were around 5,000 manuscripts in the collection in 1912. The cartographic collection included more than 1,000 maps and atlases, and the graphics and drawings collection consisted of more than 2,000 engravings, sketches and drawings. The Wróblewski Library also collected ex-librises and ephemeral prints such as posters, posters and leaflets a valuable and often unique collection,

. At the time of its establishment it was one of the largest private scientific libraries in the Polish and Lithuanian lands. Its uniqueness lay in the wide thematic range of the collection, but at the same time in its careful selection - Tadeusz Wróblewski collected mainly books and documents of scientific, historical and cultural value.

Library after World War I
After the war, in 1922, the library was transformed into the Eustachy and Emilia Wróblewski Scientific Aid Society. The organisation aimed not only to look after the book collection, but also to develop the library's scientific and cultural activities. Tadeusz Wróblewski died a few years later - on 3 July 1925. At that time, efforts were already underway for the Society to transfer the collection to the state, which finally took place in 1926. At the same time, the Ministry of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment purchased for the library's needs the Tyszkiewicz Palace (located at today's Žygimantų Street 1), where the collection was moved and where it is still located today. This building, originally built in the 19th century, had previously belonged to Klementa Tyszkiewiczowa, who left Vilnius forever after the tragic death of her husband and daughter. The palace, which was in a poor state of repair and unsuitable for library use, required extensive reconstruction and adaptation to the needs of a modern scientific institution. Renovation work lasted from 1926 to 1931 and included the construction of new rooms for storing the book collection and creating a reading room. In 1931, the adaptation work was completed and the library officially began operations in its new premises. In 1935, a public reading room was officially opened in its premises, which was the culmination of its founder's concept.

Development and activities of the library in the 1930s
In its new location, the library became one of the most important scientific centres of Vilnius and its collections grew steadily. In 1932 it obtained the right to receive a legal deposit of all publications published in the four provinces of Vilnius, Bialystok, Novgorod and Polesie, which significantly expanded the scope of its resources. During this period, the library focused on collecting, cataloguing and providing access to materials, and its collection included more than 180,000 books, 15,000 manuscripts, 2,000 maps and atlases and the aforementioned iconographic collection. In 1935, a public reading room was opened, making the library accessible not only to scholars, but also to students and local residents. In 1936, the Friends of the Wróblewski Library Society was established to popularise the institution and organise scientific and cultural events, and the library itself was given the status of a regional scientific library in 1937. Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, the library had accumulated more than 200,000 collection units, making it one of the largest and most important libraries in Central and Eastern Europe. In 1939, after the aggression of the USSR against Poland and the occupation of Vilnius by the Red Army, the library was partially looted and part of its holdings were taken to Russia. Particularly severe were the losses of the collection on the history of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and documents related to Freemasonry and science.

After World War II, the Wróblewski Library found itself in a new political reality. After the occupation of Vilnius by the Red Army in 1940, the library was incorporated into the newly established Academy of Sciences of the Lithuanian SSR, becoming its main library institution. Its name was changed to the Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Despite the losses, the library continued to operate as a scientific institution. In 1969, a new building was erected for library storage, which was opened in 1974. In the following decades, the library gradually rebuilt its book collection, also incorporating materials from other libraries and scientific institutions.

After Lithuania regained its independence in 1991, the library regained its historical character and was renamed the Vrublevski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (Lietuvos mokslų akademijos Vrublevskių biblioteka). In 2009, its former name was formally restored. At present, its collection consists of more than 3,700,000 so-called library units - including manuscripts, old prints, documents of social life, maps and atlases, and iconographic collections. Among other things, the collection includes the largest collection of parchments in Lithuania.

On the front wall of the library building you can see the date - 1931. This is a reminder of the great flood that inundated Vilnius in the last days of April that year. Next to the date you can see the water level mark.