Louvain’s university library was destroyed by both world wars

Evidence

The Husserl collection was moved from the main university library to the Institut Supérieur de Philosophie in January 1940 — just in time. Four months later, much of the university library was destroyed by bombs when the German invasion began. It was the second time the library had been lost: an older building and a priceless original collection of books and manuscripts had been wiped out in the First World War. — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café, 441

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the fragility-of-knowledge theme from The Library: A Fragile History — libraries lost to war and fire repeatedly. — connects to: Neglect destroyed more ancient libraries than war or malice did — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 58; A rebuilt library destroyed again suffers a doubling of loss — Jamal Awil, The Whispering Archive: The Complete…, 1172
• CANDY: The Leuven library being destroyed in both world wars is a striking, easily-told anecdote about war’s collateral damage to culture.

Broader Connections

• Neglect destroyed more ancient libraries than war or malice did #complicates (0.80) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 58
• A rebuilt library destroyed again suffers a doubling of loss #expands (0.75) — Jamal Awil, The Whispering Archive, 1172