Missing books

During the 1970s the Royal Library suffered numerous book thefts. In the following period of time the Library conducted a total inventory of its old collections.

Several years later, in 2003-2004, the crime was solved. Subsequently, the Library has produced a list of books still missing from the old collections.

This list contains books printed 1501-1949. It is arranged chronologically by date of publication, and as such it is an easy-to-use tool for antiquarian booksellers and auction houses, who need to ascertain whether a received book might belong to the Royal Library.

In order to make sure that the list functions as the best possible tool for identifying missing books, the Library has critically verified each individual title and added data from sources usually consulted by the Library (for further information, see the introduction to the list).

'Royal Identification Marks' is a web exhibition which, by means of illustrations and descriptions of ownership marks, shelf marks, and other characteristics, demonstrates how to recognize books from the old collections of the Royal Library.