On the day of William Shakespeare's birthday, the library of prof. Jerzy Limon in the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre was ceremoniously opened. The book collection comprises about 3200 volumes of an interdisciplinary nature.

- 'It is a humanist library in the fullest sense of the word since it represents its owner's "Renaissance tendency" to combine many aspects of reality, a dialogue between various fields of science and a correspondence between the arts,' - said the organisers. - 'The reading room invites theatrologists, historians and art historians, literary scholars, philosophers, students of the humanities and arts, as well as researchers of the region's history and all those who would like to become acquainted with Professor Jerzy Limon's rich and versatile output and his literary world.'

The library is located in the space where a School of Fencing existed from 1635 - as confirmed by archaeological excavations and dendrochronological research. It was the first public theatre in Poland and functioned in Gdańsk for nearly 200 years, hosting among others English actors. With a selection of readings from Professor Jerzy Limon's collection, we will have an opportunity to admire beautifully exhibited, authentic wooden fragments of the Fencing School, which are a symbol of the reconstruction of Shakespeare's theatre in Gdańsk.

During the ceremony, the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, prof. Piotr Stepnowski, presented the Director of the Gdańsk Historical Society, Agata Grenda, with the Professor's ex-libris:

- 'The opening of the prof. Jerzy Limon Library in the Shakespeare Theatre is a beautiful initiative, which we would like to celebrate with a small gift from the University of Gdańsk. Since this is about the Library and Professor Limon's precious collection collected over the years, including many of his books, an ex-libris would be the most appropriate gift,' - said the Rector. - 'An ex-libris is a noble form of marking the ownership of a book. Certainly, in its graphic aspect, it is supposed to indicate that which is close to the owner. This task has been entrusted to artists, and the art of making ex-librises has been dealt with by such great masters. In Gdańsk, Andrzej Taranek, a graphic artist associated with the University of Gdańsk for many years, is the author of many exquisite ex-librises. That is why I asked him to make an ex-libris of Professor Jerzy Limon. It was made using the linocut technique, and I would like to donate the first copy of this work, printed on Japanese tissue paper, numbered and signed by the artist, to Professor Jerzy Limon's Library.'

As the Rector added, another numbered copy of this ex-libris will be exhibited among the works from Jerzy Limon's Shakespeare collection at the exhibition Gdańsk Traces of Shakespeare: Chodowiecki & Limon, which we are organising at the University of Gdańsk as part of a joint series with the Shakespeare Theatre entitled 'Jerzy Limon: Inspirations - Dialogue - Polemics'.

The opening also featured the promotion of prof. Jerzy Limon's book entitled 'Shakespeare. Seven Deadly Sins (with the plague in the background)', published by Słowo/Obraz/Terytoria. The publication is a richly illustrated, insightful essay showing that sin is the driving force behind all major Shakespearean characters, both in comedies and tragedies. The author juxtaposes selected excerpts from the dramas, in which the presence of major sins is very clear, with the iconography of the period, mainly Dutch.

The book collection in the GTS is not divided by language and consists mainly of Polish and English-language items, although there are also volumes in German, Russian or Greek.

Due to the uniqueness of many items, it will not be possible to borrow books. However, a comfortably designed reading room is available to visitors, open from Tuesdays to Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Theatre's Director, Agata Grenda, especially warmly invites students and lecturers from the University of Gdansk to use the library.

The University of Gdańsk, together with the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre and the Theatrum Gedanense Foundation, is organising a series of events held in his memory between May 24 and 28. Jerzy Limon - Inspiration - Dialogue - Polemics. One of the points on the agenda is the naming of the Theatre Hall in the Neophilology building after the Professor.

The Professor's Library was founded by the American Society of Friends of the Theatrum Gedanense Foundation and its president, Charles Krause, while the Professor's book collection was donated by his wife, Justyna Marcinkiewicz-Limon.

The library was designed and built by Tomasz Krupiński, an artist and interior designer from Gdańsk, and Mikołaj Żejmo.