Abstract
The library of Jan Evangelista Purkyně was one of the greatest in his days. Purkyně started to collect books during his studies and continued till his death.
His library inventory is in his estate fonds at the City of Prague Archives, but it is definitely incomplete. The inventory comprises 5 512 titles of books and journals, 8 626 volumes, which demonstrates the broad range of Purkyně's interests - both in the sciences and the humanities.
However, his heirs could not find anyone either at home or abroad willing to buy the library as a unique whole, which is why it was sold to an antiquarian bookshop.