The treasures housed behind the thick walls of the Staatsbibliothek include old maps, incunabula and original music scores by composers such as Bach and Schumann. Founded in 1661 by the Great Elector, the Prussian national Library was built by Ernst von Ihne, who also designed the Bode museum in similar grandiose style, between 1903 and 1914. After partition, some of the 5 million works were moved to the “Stabi”, the library’s counterpart in West Berlin. Attractive inner courtyard.