Hiroshima at 80: gifts reflect history’s darkest shadow

The 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima is on Wednesday, 6 August 2025.

The University of Reading has a unique connection to Hiroshima University, dating back to 1951 when Reading became one of the first universities in the world to respond to a call for support to rebuild the Hiroshima University library,after its destruction by the atomic bomb.

Research by the University of Reading’s Department of Historyin 2015 showed that then Reading University Librarian, Mary Kirkus, may have made this decision independently, without formal institutional approval.

In 2011, Hiroshima University gifted Reading with some raretiles found in the Motoyasu River, which came from buildings destroyed in the blast. In 2018, a second gift of a rare roof tile from the building that later became known as the Atomic Bomb Dome - the only building close to Ground Zero left standing after the nuclear blast - was gratefully received by the University of Reading’s Special Collections.

Read our previous story: Hidden documents reveal Reading Uni first to support Peace Library

Dr Jacqui Turner, who led the research into the University of Reading’s connection to Hiroshima University, said: "Eighty years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, it is important to remember how this event changed the world. The bomb did not just destroy a city, killing and injuring thousands, but changed the course of history, international affairs and laid the framework for the Cold War and many of the global political tensions that we still feel today. It also destroyed Hiroshima University, with appalling human costs.

“What followed in the 1950s were efforts to rebuild, including international appeals for support to re-establish institutions like Hiroshima University. The university's president wrote to institutions worldwide asking for book donations to create a peace library. These post-war reconstruction efforts showed that those in nations formerly in bitter conflict were able to work together toward reconciliation, even when post-war tensions were still high. 

“The University of Reading was one of the first institutions to respond to Hiroshima University's call for help back in 1951. We still maintain that connection today through the objects held in our Special Collections and through ongoing partnerships and research.

“As we live in a world still marked by conflict, reflecting on the anniversary of such a terrible event should also remind us of efforts to build friendship and reconciliation from humanity's darkest moments."

Dr Jacqui Turner, from the University of Reading's Department of History, is available for interview. To arrange interviews, contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk

To read more about the connection to Hiroshima University and to download images of the shattered roof tiles gifted to the University of Reading, visit: Special Collections - Hiroshima at 70