A German mining engineer named Bruno Schröder spent decades building a secret library of 70,000 books in his single-family home in Mettingen. The 80-year-old collector filled every square foot of his house with meticulously organized shelves, from the basement's 10,000 thrillers to the attic's slanted storage. His collection included poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and even rare works by author Arno Schmidt.

Schröder's engineering background proved crucial as he crafted custom shelving to support the massive weight. With each book averaging 300-400 grams, his home contained the equivalent weight of 15 modern cars. The unassuming exterior masked what one visitor called a "book lover's wet dream" - a private library that would rival many public institutions. Despite the collection's size, structural experts confirmed the home remained sound.

After Schröder's death in June 2022, his widow moved to a care facility, leaving the collection's fate uncertain. Estate manager Renate Abeln initially sought to sell the entire library as one unit, even finding a buyer willing to pay 7,000 euros before they backed out. With no children to inherit the books and limited market demand for used paperbacks, this massive literary treasure now waits for a solution.