Archeologists uncover Germany's oldest library

DW.com has great news for history and literary geeks: Ruins found under the German city of Cologne have been determined to be the country's oldest library.

Construction workers first unearthed the site a year ago, and while it was clear early on that the wall dated to Roman times, it wasn’t until recently that the purpose of the wall became clear.

Cologne historic preservation official Marcus Trier said the "unusual, niche-like divisions" in the wall alerted archeologists that they weren’t looking at a public assembly room, which was the initial theory.

Turns out those would have held scrolls — an estimated several thousand, Trier said.

According to DW.com, the wall was found during work for a new Protestant church community center, which will incorporate the find into its design.

Read more about Cologne’s history, including the library, and see photos on DW.com.