Chilean Forces Pillaged the National Library of Peru in 1881

Some books returned in 2007.

Manuel Ricardo Palma Soriano (February 7, 1833 – October 6, 1919) was a Peruvian author, scholar, librarian and politician. He directed the rebuilding of the National Library after the War in the Pacific

On August 28, 1821, a month after proclaiming independence, General Don José de San Martín signed the decree for the creation of the National Library of Peru on the old Jesuit premises in Lima. On September 17, 1822, the National Library was inaugurated.¹

During the War of the Pacific (also known as the Saltpeter War)² between Chile and Peru the National Library was looted. The occupation of Lima by the Chilean Army in 1881-1883 was an event in the land campaign phase of the War of the Pacific (1879-1883).

The Chilean army plundered the contents of the Peruvian National Library

Thousands of books from the National Library of Peru (including many centuries-old original Spanish, Peruvian and Colonial books) were transported to Santiago de Chile.³

Ricardo Palma was named the director of the National Library after the war, a post he held until his retirement in 1912. Palma successfully took on the task of rebuilding the National Library. Palma was able to bring the National Library back from the ashes so that it regained its previous stature and became recognized once again as one of the top libraries in South America.

In 1943 there was a fire and the library burned.⁴ It has since been rebuilt.⁵ Below are 2 videos one about the current library and one about the 1943 fire—both in Spanish.

In 2007 the Chilean government returned 3,778 books to the National Library of Peru.⁶

1. National Library of Peru.

2. The war began over a nitrate taxation dispute between Bolivia and Chile, with Peru being drawn in due to its secret alliance with Bolivia. ] On February 14, 1879, Chile's armed forces occupied the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta, subsequently war between Bolivia and Chile was declared on March 1, 1879, and between Chile and Peru on April 5, 1879.Battles were fought in the Pacific Ocean, the Atacama Desert, the Peruvian deserts, and the mountainous interior of Peru.

3. “Occupation of Lima.” Wikipedia.

4. MacLeish, Archibald. “Aid to the National Library of Peru.” The Hispanic American Historical Review 23, no. 4 (1943): 781–83.

5. Thx to Franklyn Estupinan for background.

6. Dan Collyns. (2007-11-07). "Chile returns looted Peru books". BBC.