The main duty of every library is to acquire, make accessible and retain cultural heritage for the future generations. Adhering to the principle of the widest accessibility of its collections along with preserving the originals, Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna presents its valuable content in Digital Library of Opole.

By means of making its collections accessible in the electronic version, Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna joins in the process of creating information society for which the most important value is knowledge and quick access to information about the present and the past of its region, the whole country and also of Europe and the world.

The invitation to use Digital Library of Opole is directed not only to our current readers – students, academic researchers, local and foreign history lovers writing monographs of their hometowns. We direct it to all network users as well, even to those from the smallest towns, as the knowledge contained in old books, manuscripts, maps and periodicals may help them  to find new horizons in virtual space.

The project of Digital Library of Opole was initiated thanks to financial support from The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Operational Program Mecenat 2009.

Digital Library of Opole contains the following collections:

Cultural heritage

Old prints concerning history of Poland and Silesia, including works of Długosz, Kromer, Hankius, Dewerdeck, Aelurius.

Manuscripts mainly concerning Silesia, including those describing the 19th century local education (exemplified by the autobiographies of children from village Żelazna) and the social life in 24 cities (the statutes of Silesian towns from years 1592-1746).

Cartography – in the future we intend to present old maps of Silesia.

Regional Collection

Periodicals – in Polish, German and Czech, published in Silesia from the beginning of 19th century.

Ephemera – concerning Silesian uprisings and the Silesia plebiscite period.
Books – mainly from the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, concerning Silesia or published in Silesia, edited in publishing houses of Korns, Grass & Barth, G. P. Aderholz, J. Max. Among them there are bibliographies, books on religion and history.

Postcards – collection contains postcards presenting Silesian cities and villages.