The Central University Library Carol I (Biblioteca Centrală Universitară Carol I) is a library on Victory Avenue in central Bucharest.
The University of Bucharest didn’t have a central library when it was founded in 1864 and therefore the Central State Library was used until 1895. That institution was then moved into the new building that was constructed between 1891 and 1893 and after being equipped and furnished the new library was opened in 1895.
The land on which the new library was built was bought by King Carol I for the “Carol I University Foundation”. The building was designed by the French architect Paul Gottereau and under his supervision, it was later extended with a new wing that opened in 1914.
During the 1989 Revolution, the building caught fire, which destroyed over 500,000 books and 3,700 manuscripts. Renovations took place from April 1990, and the library was reopened again on 20 November 2001. After a call for donations more than 100,000 books and other pieces were donated from around the country and 800,000 from abroad and today the library’s volume has grown to over 2.3 million pieces.
In front of the Central University Library Carol I stands an equestrian statue of King Carol I made by sculptor Florin Codre.
