Ljubljana’s National and University library holds all printed material published in Slovenia – and is one of the capital’s architectural jewels. However, few are aware that it was the site of a bizarre air accident on a cold winter’s day more than 70 years ago.

After years of bureaucratic trials and tribulations, the library finally opened its doors in 1941. Designed by the master architect Jože Plečnik, it was characterized by an inventive use of materials ranging from wood to large blocks of stone. The main reading room featured a high ceiling, large windows, and a spectacular chandelier hanging over the desks below.

Anyone in the reading room on January 29, 1944, - during the bleak years of the Axis occupation – would have witnessed an incredible event: She would have first heard the noise of a faltering aircraft engine, followed seconds later by the sight of a plane crashing into the reading room, the sound of glass shattering, the smell of fuel spilling across the floor – and the worst was yet to come.

A few employees huddled in a floor below the reading room heard the commotion, as did residents of nearby buildings. It turned out that an Italian-registered mail plane, flying on behalf of the Germans, had experienced technical problems while flying above Ljubljana. Failing to find a landing spot, the aircraft crashed into the library building and started a fire that quickly spread to books and the library’s wooden furnishings.

Luckily, there were no people in the reading room that day. In fact, the entire library was officially closed to the public because it had run out of fuel for heating. One diligent man did come to the library to return a book and paid for it with his life. All four men aboard the plane were also killed instantaneously. But the reading room, large enough to accommodate more than 100 people, was deserted.

Tens of thousands of books and other documents were destroyed in the fire. Many more suffered water damage, and only the quick intervention of firefighters – and the Plečnik’s fireproof design – prevented the blaze from spreading to other parts of the building.

The library was renovated and it soon reopened. Today, its architecture – and its large collection of books and historic documents -- attracts visitors from far beyond Slovenia. However, few of them are aware that it was the site of one of the most unusual disasters in Slovenian history.