>History, Heritage and Packed HallsOver 1,500 Visitors at the Central University Library During Museum Night

More than 1,500 visitors crossed the threshold of the “Carol I” Central University Library on Saturday, 23 May 2026, during the Museum Night festival, transforming one of Bucharest’s most spectacular cultural buildings into a space for dialogue between history, heritage and the contemporary public.

Public interest remained constant throughout the evening, with queues forming from the entrance behind the equestrian statue and extending almost as far as Boteanu Street. The event also had a significant international dimension: one third of the guided tours were conducted in English for tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Ukraine, Russia, France, as well as several French-speaking countries on the African continent. Visitors had the opportunity to admire the Library’s Aula, the Professors’ Hall, the “Carol I” Salon and the Time Capsule — spaces that tell the story of one of Romania’s most important university libraries and the transformations it has undergone throughout history. Particular interest was shown in the exhibition Great Romanian Boyar Families, which brought together heraldic representations inspired by the manuscripts of genealogist Ioan I. Cârlova and works created by artist Aurel Jiquidi. History and heraldry enthusiasts examined the similarities between the coats of arms on display and the imperial influences of the period — ranging from Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian to Prussian and Polish influences. Foreign visitors likewise identified heraldic symbols similar to those found in the noble traditions of their own countries. The atmosphere of the evening was enriched by the reactions of delighted visitors, recorded in dozens of pages of impressions left at the end of the tours. Both the Library’s architectural and historical heritage and the professionalism and enthusiasm of the Central University Library guides were highly appreciated.

“Really impressive! Full of culture and history, a very nice guide and mesmerising architecture!!!”, wrote a British couple living in Bucharest.

“I did not expect to see such a building. A truly surprising tour. I learned a great deal about the history of this place, as well as about the restoration processes it has undergone. It was worth waiting in the queue for an hour,” noted another visitor.

Young participants offered some of the evening’s most moving reactions. Schoolchildren and kindergarten pupils drew hearts and cats for the Library staff, while many expressed their wish to return as future readers of the Central University Library. “I really loved the library!!! Like something out of a storybook!”, wrote Izabela, a primary school pupil, while Eva-Ilinca shared: “I want to learn more about the History of Romania.”

“For the ‘Carol I’ Central University Library, Museum Night represents one of the most important opportunities to open our cultural heritage to the wider public and to spark the curiosity of future library readers. Each time, this event helps us take the pulse of the community, better understand the public’s interests and expectations, and identify new ways to improve our services for as many users as possible. This year’s edition, dedicated to the great Romanian boyar families, brought to the public’s attention people and destinies that gave this nation rulers, scholars, clergy and many other important personalities. We wanted visitors to discover not only the beauty of documents and heraldic symbols, but also those moments of intellectual déjà vu that emerge when unexpected connections between past and present are realised. It reaffirms the fact that the Romanian people have known how to shape their destiny even in the most difficult historical circumstances, and that this story continues to impress both Romanian audiences and those discovering our culture for the first time,” stated Associate Professor Mireille Rădoi, PhD, General Director of the “Carol I” Central University Library.