Bibliotheca Zriniana

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Bibliotheca Zriniana
Front page of the exhibition catalog of the Bibliotheca Zriniana in Čakovec (2008)
founding 1662
Duration 731
Library type Private library ( aristocratic library )
place founded in Čakovec , Kingdom of Croatia (within the Habsburg monarchy)
operator National and University Library of Zagreb
management Tatijana Petrić, Dr. sc.
Website http://www.nsk.hr
Nikolaus Zrinski , owner of the Bibliotheca Zriniana (painting by Johann Franz Hoffmann )

The Bibliotheca Zriniana is the famous book collection of the Croatian Banus Nikolaus Zrinski from the 17th century. It was founded in Čakovec , the headquarter of the Zrinski family at that time. 1662 is considered to be the year it was founded, when its owner designed and printed the subject catalog . Later it was moved several times and stayed outside of Croatia for many years , but was finally bought in Vienna in 1892 and taken to Zagreb , where it is now, largely preserved, housed in the Croatian National and University Library in Zagreb .

historical overview

The renaissance - baroque library in Čakovec began to be formed in the 16th century, namely since the time of the ancestors of Nikolaus Zrinski (1620–1664). Most likely, this process began with his great-grandfather Nikola IV (1508–1566), later his grandfather Juraj (Georg) IV. (1549–1603), his uncle Nikola VI. (around 1570–1625) and father Juraj V. (1599–1626), but the library was not cataloged until 1662. The catalog was entitled “ Catalogus omnium librorum bibliothecae chaktorniensis excellentissimi atque illustrissimi domini comitis Nicolai a Zrinio bani. Anno Domini 1662. the 10 octobris "(translated:" Catalog of all books in the Čakovec library of the excellent and brilliant Count Nikolaus Zrinski, Banus. October 10, 1662 "). As Prof. Zvonimir Bartolić, president of the branch of Matica Hrvatska ( Matrix Croatica ) in Čakovec, in the exhibition catalog for the exhibition of Zriniana mentioned in 2008 in Čakovec, the number of books at that time was about 500 copies, namely 431 listed books in Zrinski Catalogus. .. , there were also about 100 volumes that were not entered in it. All the books recorded were divided into eleven thematic groups.

After the death of Nikolaus Zrinski in 1664, his library was taken over by his wife Maria Sofia nee. Löbl († 1676) and his underage son Adam (1662-1691) took over. During the turbulent years of the magnate conspiracy , the two retired from Čakovec Castle, first to Varaždin , then to Virovitica and finally to Vienna . They took the library with them, protecting the Zriniana from the risk of being looted when the magnate conspiracy was violently ended.

Since Adam Zrinski was shot in the battle of Slankamen in 1691 , his widow Maria Katarina, nee. Lamberg again, namely Count Maximilian Arnošt II. Vlašim from the Moravian Vöttau (Bitov in today's Czech Republic ). Zrinski's library stayed in the Bítov Castle there for almost two centuries . Almost forgotten and housed in an adjoining room, it was only "discovered" again in 1873 and sold to the Viennese antiquarian Samuel Kende a little later as the heir of the descendants .

Although the Hungarians were very interested in the library, the Croatian provincial government at the time reacted faster and more skillfully and bought it for 12,000 forints in 1892/93 . The Zriniana was then transported from Vienna to Zagreb and housed in what was then the Croatian Royal University Library. Later it became a part of today's National and University Library in Zagreb .

Book inventory

Since its establishment, the Bibliotheca Zriniana has been continuously expanded and its book inventory has changed. The legacy of Nikolaus Zrinski was first expanded with the books of his brother Petar (1621–1671), sister-in-law Katarina and son Adam , although the current inventory contains about three quarters of the books that Nicholas owned. According to some research, it was found that 95 books previously belonged to the spouses Petar and Katarina Zrinski, and 45 books to Adam. Some sources speak of Adam's inheritance, which is said to have contained over 800 books in total. The current inventory contains 424 so-called signatures , exclusively printed books, i. H. without manuscripts , which can be found under separate signatures.

According to the most recent, long-term research, Croatian and Hungarian librarians and historians have found that the entire library of the Bibliotheca Zriniana comprises 731 library units, most of which are located in Zagreb. The rest is scattered in various libraries and archives across Europe.

In addition to the books inherited from his ancestors, Nikolaus Zrinski supplemented his family library with books from various sources that were printed in many renowned book printing houses in Central and Western Europe, such as Vienna , Paris , Venice , Bologna and Rome to Antwerp and Amsterdam , including Frankfurt and Cologne and Strasbourg . The books are mostly written in Latin , but also in Italian, German, Croatian, Hungarian, French, etc.

The current collection, kept in the National and University Library Zagreb (424 units), contains the works of ancient Greek classical (e.g. Iliad and Odyssey ) as well as ancient Roman literature ( Valerius Maximus , Pliny the Elder , Horace , Virgil , Julius Caesar etc.), then some copies of the Bible , the works of the Italian late medieval writers ( Ludovico Ariosto , Giovanni Boccaccio , Dante Alighieri , Francesco Petrarca ), as well as writers from other countries ( Englishman Francis Bacon , Irishman Mark Forstall , Flame Laurentius Beyerlinck ) and also local authors (Nikolaus Zrinski with his “Siren of the Adriatic Sea”, Ana Katarina Frankopan-Zrinski with her “Putni tovaruš” (traveling companion), Franjo Črnko with the “Siege of the City of Sigetvar”, Franjo Glavinić with the “History of Trsat ", Mavro Orbini with the" Kingdom of the Slavs "etc.). The collection of poems by Pope Urban VIII (from the time before his papacy), which Nikolaus Zrinski received personally from the author in Rome in 1636 , is particularly interesting .

In addition to fiction , Zrinski's library has books on history , military affairs , philosophy , economics , geography (including some atlases ), architecture , etc.

Finally, the library holds a number of the volumes of rarity value , including the valuable manuscripts in particular . One of them is an epic written by hand , the “Siren of the Adriatic Sea” by the owner of the library.

estate

To commemorate the important book collection that was once located in the Zrinski residence in Čakovec, the former socialist "People's Library and Reading Room Čakovec" was renamed when it moved to the new building in the 1980s and has since been called the "Nikola Zrinski" Čakovec library .

Selected titles

See also

Web links