The bust of Herbert Hoover is perfectly at home in this library. During the First World War, Hoover was a major leader on the “Commission for Relief in Belgium”. In this role, he organized a large-scale food relief effort for Belgium and Northern France. He also coordinated the fund-raising in the United States for the new library. Shortly thereafter, in 1929, Hoover became president of the United States for four years. -- Before you go up the stairs, take a look through the window to your left at the inner courtyard. At the end, you will see several sculptured letters on the ground against the wall. Perhaps you recognize an I, a T, a U, another T and an A. These are the last five letters of an inscription that was meant to be on the library’s façade. The words were meant to denounce German warfare. The full inscription should have read: Furore Teutonico Diruta, Dono Americano Restituta. In translation this basically means: Destruction by German violence, Construction with American funds. To avoid offending the Germans, the then rector of the university, Mgr. Ladeuze, didn’t allow the words to be placed on the wall.

Now continue onto the staircase, until you having passed through huge wooden doors you enter a large hallway. This site, to the left of the doors leading into the Main Reading Room, is the next stop.

Would you like to listen to the walking instruction once again? Press A.

A