MANZ bookstore

For more than 100 years, the MANZ bookstore situated at Vienna’s Kohlmarkt 16 has been supplying all those „in search of the law“ with juridical literature of the highest quality. Every day, around 300 customers enter Austria’s largest bookstore for law, tax and the economy through a portal designed in 1912 by the famous Austrian architect Adolf Loos.

A team of expert booksellers operates a store equipped with state-of-the-art technical infrastructure. More than 20,000 titles are in stock and another 450,000 can be provided within 24 hours. Not only does the bookstore supply all books and journals published by MANZ, but all works available from publishers all over the world.

In addition, MANZ’ booksellers also demonstrate and offer instruction in the use of CD-ROMs and online databases to customers individually. While enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee, customers may also use the Internet-PCs situated in the back of the store for personal research. The bookstore also offers special services such as the compiling of bibliographies, procurement of software and online services, as well as consultation on how to equip new libraries.

Perfect service also implies consistent training of our staff. MANZ has been distinguished with several awards for its eminent achievements in training specialized booksellers. All of these qualities led the independent German business magazine “BuchMarkt“ to name it ”Specialty Bookstore of the Year“ in 2009!

A jewel of modern architecture

Adolf Loos (1870-1933)

Along with the "American Bar”, the bespoke tailor “Knize“ and the Raiffeisen-building on Michaelerplatz, the MANZ bookstore at Kohlmarkt 16 is one of Adolf Loos’ (1870-1933) most outstanding edifices in Vienna’s First District. The prominent architect and polemic critic of architecture designed the bookstore in 1912.
In his famous essay “Ornament und Verbrechen“ (“The crime of excessive ornamentation“) from 1908, Loos locked horns with the exponents of art nouveau and the Wiener Werkstätte, vowing to create a new, functional style in architecture. Today Loos is considered one of the progenitors of modernity.
In the more than 90 years of its existence, the elegant portal has neither lost its appeal nor its functionality: In line with the insights of Freudian psychoanalysis, the portal aims to exercise a subconscious attraction on passersby: Loos set the actual door back in from the front of the building and furnished the entrance with indirect lighting. Considering the number of daily visitors up to the present day, this remarkable architect was absolutely right in his estimation of the effect the entryway would have!

Photo: Copyright by Historisches
Museum der Stadt Wien

Position plan

Copyright: Stadt Wien - ViennaGIS


Visit our bookstore on Kohlmarkt 16, 1010 Vienna!
We are open Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 6.30 pm and Saturday 9.30 am to 5 pm.