The Informatorium – an institution and its etymology

Abstract

The essay guides the reader through the history of meaning of the word Informatorium, from the 17th century beginnings with handbooks to its various uses in the 20th century, now that the opening of an up-to-date information providing institution bearing this name is approaching. It reviews in short Informatorium’s relationship with the cultural-historical discourse on “consciously planned and constructed buildings for executing high-level intellectual operations”.