[1] Established in response to Martin Luther’s call to create Protestant schools and libraries, its mission was to make education accessible to all.

Even after 1696, the slowly growing university library could not meet the city's literary needs, and a 1697 electoral privilege allowed professors to continue favoring the extensive holdings of the Marienbibliothek.

In 1887–1888, architects Reinhard Knoch and Friedrich Kallmeyer designed a new library building at An der Marienkirche 1, located within the courtyard of the rectories.

[3][4] Notable items include a Torah scroll from the early 14th century, numerous 16th- and 17th-century pamphlets, and printed Bibles, some with handwritten annotations by Martin Luther.

Further digitisation of the library's rare and historically valuable materials would greatly enhance accessibility and contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage.

Additional support for digitisation projects would enable the library to make its unique collections more widely available, benefiting academic research and cultural preservation on a broader scale.