Medieval library
A medieval library is a library that was founded in the Middle Ages , whose collection or procurement began before the 16th century and which, in the best-case scenario, still exists today. This can also mean a historical book inventory that has been closed or partially taken over from another library as a special collection .
A medieval library building can also be called this. However, only a few library buildings from the Middle Ages have survived. A good example is the Liberei in Braunschweig (donated in 1412, completed in 1422). The ancient libraries were the predecessors of the medieval libraries .
overview
Medieval libraries were mostly set up by universities , cities (council or imperial city library), monasteries, clergy, scholars, humanists, nobles or bibliophile private collectors. Many libraries established later contain large holdings from older libraries or collections.
The history of a medieval library is often linked to the history of other comparable libraries or it is specific to the library in question, so that only a general overview is possible here. For this reason, the following is mainly a list of medieval libraries (both the existing ones and those that have been dissolved, sold, destroyed or otherwise ceased or relocated), regardless of their size or importance.
These are mainly monastery libraries (the term armarium is not only used in monasteries), which were dissolved in the course of secularization . There were also a number of aristocratic or private libraries that no longer exist today.
There are also old stocks of medieval books or valuable individual works outside of actual libraries: in archives and museums, in castles, palaces, rectories, town halls or schools. They should also be mentioned here. Often, former holdings can be reconstructed using the library catalogs that are still preserved , and notes, marginalia , glosses or stamps, provenance notes and signatures are also used.
Cataloged or digitized collections are not listed here, but they are important for research and conservation (see digital library ).
Manuscripts and books
In the Middle Ages there were only manuscripts that were made with expensive materials such as parchment and were difficult to copy, or, to a very limited extent, block books . Some manuscripts were further enhanced by elaborate colored initials , rubrications and illuminations , colored leather as a base for writing, golden and silver inks, gold leaf and elaborately decorated book covers and embossed or decorated leather covers.
A typical medieval library had a few hundred to a few thousand books, depending on the financial resources and the availability of copies. The number of books has increased steadily since the invention of printing . The first printed books are called incunabula or cradle prints; they no longer belong to the Middle Ages, but to the early modern period.
The printing works of the 16th and 17th centuries were already producing more and more books, the process of paper production , sales and printing technology improved noticeably and production became cheaper. With the beginning of the industrial production of books in the 18th century and the invention of the rotary printing press for magazines, the library's holdings grew immeasurably. The largest libraries now have several million books and have to be expanded regularly.
Libraries in existence since the Middle Ages
Early modern libraries with mediaeval holdings
Library | place | founding | Stock and comments | image |
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Baden State Library | Karlsruhe | Start of collection approx. 1500; Current building built from 1983 to 1991 | contains numerous old holdings, including the Nibelungenlied |
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Bavarian State Library | Munich | Start of collection in 1558; The current building was built between 1832 and 1843 | has one of the most important manuscript collections in the world and the most extensive collection of incunabula in Germany, including the incunabula collection of Hartmann Schedel |
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Biblioteca Ambrosiana | Milan | 1602 | Extensive collection of codices , including Greek and Oriental manuscripts, 35,000 manuscripts and over 2,100 incunabula, Ilias Ambrosiana , Itinerarium Alexandri |
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Biblioteca Angelica | Rome | 1604 | 2664 Hss., Codex Angelicus , De Balneis Puteolanis |
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Imperial City Library Lindau | Lindau (Lake Constance) | 1538 | 140 incunabula presumably from the old library of the Franciscan monastery Lindau |
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Basel University Library | Basel | 1471 (approx.) | around 20,000 medieval manuscripts and incunabula, a lot from the Basel monasteries and the Basel University , as well as the most extensive collection of Basel early prints |
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Schaffhausen City Library | Schaffhausen | 1636 | 160 medieval manuscripts, among others from the Allerheiligen monastery, including the Vita s. Columbae (7th century), 260 incunabula |
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Freising Cathedral Library | Freising | 2nd half of the 8th century, 1732 baroque building, secularized, under construction | 345 manuscripts, 222 incunabula |
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Trier City Library | trier | 1560 | 2,600 manuscripts and 2,500 incunabula |
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Library of the Escorial | San Lorenzo de El Escorial | Erected from 1563 to 1584 | 40,000 books; Crónica Albeldense , Speyer Gospels |
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British Library | London | 1753 as the library of the British Museum , in 1973 merged with other libraries to form the BL | Book of hours by Saint-Omer , Book of Lindisfarne , Beowulf , Melisende-Psalter |
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Bibliothèque Mazarine | Paris | 1691 | 400,000 works, including 4,600 manuscripts, 2,300 incunabula and 1 Gutenberg Bible |
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Bibliothèque nationale de France | Paris | 1461 | 14 million works, including 250,000 manuscripts, 12,000 incunabula and 2 Gutenberg Bibles |
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Duke August Library | Wolfenbüttel | 1572 | 1,000,000 media units, including approx. 11,800 manuscripts, almost 3,000 incunabula and the Gospel Book of Henry the Lion |
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Library of Congress | Washington, DC | 1800 | 31 million books, 50 million manuscripts and Martin Waldseemüller's world map |
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State and City Library Augsburg | augsburg | 1537 | 540,000 volumes, including 1,000 medieval codes and 2,800 incunabula |
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Libraries, archives and museums with medieval works
- Aachen Cathedral Treasury with the Treasury Gospels and the Liuthar Gospels
- Anhalt State Library with the book collections of Prince Georg von Anhalt-Plötzkau and Georg Helt
- Baroque library of the Mehrerau monastery
- Bavarian main state archive
- Biblical Museum Münster
- Bibliotheca Bodmeriana the collection of Martin Bodmer also contains medieval works
- Bibliotheca publica hallensis
- Biblioteca Civica Attilio Hortis
- Library in the Cîteaux monastery
- Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica
- Bibliothèque Alsatique
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Couronnement_d%27un_prince_-_Sacramentaire_de_Charles_le_Chauve_Lat1141_f2v.jpg/220px-Couronnement_d%27un_prince_-_Sacramentaire_de_Charles_le_Chauve_Lat1141_f2v.jpg)
- Bibliothèque of the Saint-Mihiel Abbey
- Bibliothèque du Grand Séminaire de Strasbourg with the Codex Guta-Sintram
- Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg
- Library of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia
- Library of the Franciscan monastery Annaberg
- Library of the Ministry of Spirituality in Greifswald
- Library of the Arnoldinum high school (Steinfurt)
- Library of the Christianeum grammar school with the incunabula collection of Johann Adrian Bolten and Johann Peter Kohl
- Ets Haim library
- Library of the High School Herborn in Herborn Castle with the works of Christoph Corvin
- Library in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum including the Codex aureus Epternacensis
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Meister_des_Codex_Aureus_Epternacensis_001.jpg/220px-Meister_des_Codex_Aureus_Epternacensis_001.jpg)
- Otto Schäfer Library in Schweinfurt not to be confused with the art collection in the Georg Schäfer Museum , in Schweinfurt also the Bausch Library and the Imperial City Library
- Library of Geneva
- Windsor Castle library with cartographies by Leonardo da Vinci
- Beincke Rare Book and Manuscript Library with the Voynich manuscript
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Meister_des_Book_of_Lindisfarne_001.jpg/220px-Meister_des_Book_of_Lindisfarne_001.jpg)
- Burndy Library with the Huntington Library
- Chester Beatty Library
- Czartoryski Museum (ul. Św. Jana 19) with the Czartoryski Library (ul. Św. Marka 17) in Kraków
- Danish Royal Library in Copenhagen a manuscript on Dietrichepik
- Deichmanske bibliotek
- German Historical Museum with a fragment of the Heliand
- Hildesheim Cathedral Museum a precious Bernward Gospel
- Diocesan Library of Münster
- Rottenburg Diocesan Library
- Speyer Diocesan Library
- Diocesan Museum Rossano the Codex purpureus Rossanensis
- Iron library in the Paradies monastery, including the Aristoteles Albertus Magnus manuscript
- Fürstlich Leiningen Library Amorbach Former library of the Amorbach monastery
- Princely Library Corvey Former library of the Corvey monastery
- Princely Waldeck Court Library in Arolsen Castle
- Fitzwilliam Museum contains the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book and Illuminated Books
- Francisceum Zerbst , manuscripts and incunabula, Cranach Bible
- Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe contains medieval documents
- Main State Archive Stuttgart of the Codex Hirsaugiensis
- Historical library in the Ludwig-Wilhelm-Gymnasium in Rastatt , a school library
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is one of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries and contains graphics by Albrecht Dürer , among others
- Holkham Hall with the collection of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester
- Aschaffenburg Court Library
- Court library Donaueschingen newly recorded by Klaus Graf
- Italian National Libraries
- Jurassic Cantonal Library
- Cantonal library of Appenzell Ausserrhoden with the Carl Meyer collection
- Cantonal library Nidwalden
- Cantonal Library of Thurgau
- St. Peter's Cathedral (Exeter) The Exeter Book
- Monastery library of the Monastery of Montserrat the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat
- Monastery library of the Beuron Archabbey
- Neresheim Monastery Library of the Neresheim Abbey
- Monastery library Engelberg Abbey , with manuscripts of Frowin
- Monastery library Einsiedeln Monastery
- Monastery library monastery Metten
- Monastery library in Oberried Abbey
- Monastery Library Kloster Roggenburg
- Rossikon monastery library in the monastery of St. Pantaleon on Mount Athos
- Monastery library of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Georgenberg-Fiecht
- Monastery library of the Strahov Monastery
- Monastery library Vatopedi also called Monastery Vatopaidion, on Mount Athos
- Kungliga biblioteket in Stockholm among others the Codex Gigas
- Kunsthaus Zürich with works by Albrecht Dürer from the Dietrich Schindler collection
- Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna with the Ingeram Codex
- Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Enguerrand_de_Monstrelet_-_Slag_bij_Azincourt.jpg/220px-Enguerrand_de_Monstrelet_-_Slag_bij_Azincourt.jpg)
- Library from the Fürstenberg Palace in Křivoklát Castle
- Landesarchiv Speyer the Codex Edelini
- State Library Wiesbaden
- Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek
- Matenadaran
- Martinus Library
- Melanchthon House (Bretten)
- Metropolitan Museum of Art contains, among other things, some single sheets of important miniatures
- Musée Condé contains, among other things, the Ingeborg Psalter and the Très Riches Heures
- Museu Calouste Gulbenkian with the book art collection of Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon
- National Library of the Czech Republic
- National Library of Saints Cyril and Methodius
- National Library of Wales
- National Library of Scotland
- St. Jürgen's Low German Bible Center with a Barther Bible
- Upper Austrian regional library contains numerous old holdings
- Ośno Lubuskie rectory library
- Austrian National Library the Ambraser Heldenbuch
- Plantin-Moretus-Museum in Antwerp the former printing works of Christoph Plantin
- Bill Gates' private library in Medina (Washington) with the Codex Leicester
- Predicant library in Isny
- Royal Collection with the Codex Windsor
- Rosenbach Museum & Library
- Royal Irish Academy with the annals of the four masters
- Russian National Library
- Collections of the Albertina (Vienna)
- Zurlauben collection in the Aargau canton library
- Saxon State Library - Dresden State and University Library
- Dyck Palace Library
- Castle library in Kynžvart Castle contains manuscripts from the former monastery library of Ochsenhausen Monastery
- Castle library in Łańcut Castle with the former Tultschyn library
- Wolfegg Castle with the art collection of the Waldburg-Wolfegg House and the house book (Wolfegg Castle)
- School library of the Heinrich-Suso-Gymnasium Konstanz
- Spanish National Library
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Edlibach_Wappen.jpg/220px-Edlibach_Wappen.jpg)
- State Archives of the Canton of Zurich
- Bamberg State Library
- State Library Ansbach
- State Library Passau
- Moscow State Historical Museum contains, among other things, manuscripts
- State Library Neuburg an der Donau
- City of Eger the book of afflictions
- Augsburg City Archives
- Stralsund City Archives
- Aachen City Library
- Braunschweig City Library
- Colmar City Library
- City library Duisburg with the collection of the Landfermann-Gymnasium
- Haguenau City Library
- Hannover City Library
- City Library (Lübeck) of the Prologus Arminensis
- Orléans City Library
- The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation acquired the small adhesive tape in 2011
- Altenburg Abbey Library
- Göttweig Abbey Library
- Abbey Library Abbey Heiligenkreuz
- Herzogenburg Abbey Library
- Klosterneuburg Abbey Library
- Lambach Abbey Library
- Abbey Library of St. Lambrecht Abbey
- Lilienfeld Abbey Library
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Handschrift_B_-_aufgeschlagen.jpg/220px-Handschrift_B_-_aufgeschlagen.jpg)
- Rein Abbey Library
- Schlägl Abbey Library
- Stiftsbibliothek Stift Seitenstetten with Edolanz
- Abbey Library Abbey Tepl
- Kremsmünster Abbey Library
- Melk Abbey Library
- Xanten Abbey Library
- Waldsassen Abbey Library
- Wilhering Abbey Library
- Zwettl Abbey Library
- Stolbergische Bibliothek Wernigerode
- Széchényi National Library in the Castle Palace of Budapest with the Bibliotheca Corviniana
- The Cloisters
- The Schøyen Collection
- Coburg State Library and Veste Coburg Tournament book of Johann Friedrich von Sachsen
- Walters Art Museum in Baltimore
- Wallenrodt Library
- Württemberg State Library contains numerous older holdings
- Vorarlberg State Library with the Vorarlberg State Archives
- Central and University Library Lucerne with the Lucerne Chronicle
- Central Library Bern with the Citizens Library Bern
- Central Library Solothurn
- Central Library Zurich
Former medieval libraries
- Armarium of the Abbaye de Silvacane at Apt
- Armarium in the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Valmagne
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Codex_Sal_Bootsfahrt.jpg/220px-Codex_Sal_Bootsfahrt.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Missale_Hohenlandberg_Kreuzigung.jpg/220px-Missale_Hohenlandberg_Kreuzigung.jpg)
- Bibliotheca Palatina , today mostly in the Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana
- Bibliotheca Corviniana
- Carl Alexander Library , contained incunabula, was in Eisenach , some of it was still in the Wartburg
- Former library of Baron Joseph von Laßberg once in Meersburg Castle
- Former library of Jacques Bongars in the Burgerbibliothek Bern with the Spiezer Chronik and Berner Chronik
- Former library of the Aldersbach monastery closed under Johann Christoph von Aretin
- Former library of Aulne Abbey
- Former library of Lobbes Abbey
- Former library of the All Saints Monastery
- Former library of the Altomünster monastery
- Former library of the Altzella monastery
- Former library of Alpirsbach monastery , named 1396
- Former library of the Auhausen monastery
- Former library of the Altötting Capuchin monastery
- Former library of Bobbio Abbey , contained important works
- Former library of the Buxheim monastery , (auctioned in Munich 1883)
- Former library of the Cismar monastery
- Former library of the Écurey monastery
- Former library of the Ettenheimmünster monastery
- Former library of the Faise monastery
- Former library of the Flaran Monastery (Armarium)
- Former library of Fontenay monastery (scriptorium in the warming room)
- Former library of the Fontfroide monastery (Armarium)
- Former library of the Foucarmont monastery with the Ciperis de Vignevaux
- Former library of the Gengenbach monastery
- Former library of the Grünwald monastery
- Former library of the St. Blasien monastery, mostly in the Badische Landesbibliothek , partly in the St. Paul monastery in Lavanttal
- Former library of St. Peter's monastery
- Former library of the St. Georgen monastery in the Black Forest
- Former library of the Günterstal monastery
- Former library of the Heiligkreuztal monastery
- Former library of the Helmarshausen monastery with the former scriptorium, here, among other things, the Gospel of Heinrich the Lion was created
- Former library of the Hirsau monastery with the Codex Hirsaugiensis
- Former library of the Hradisko monastery
- Former library of the Inzigkofen monastery
- Former library of the Katharinenkloster Nuremberg
- Former library of the Lichenthal monastery
- Former library of Lorsch Abbey , reconstructed by Bernhard Bischoff
- Former library of the monastery in Leitzkau
- Former library of Maulbronn Monastery , the Maulbronn Antiphonary from 1249 comes from its scriptorium
- Former library of the Michelberg monastery with the chronicle of Frutolf von Michelsberg created here
- Former library of Mondsee Monastery (closed in 1792), with the Mondsee fragments
- Former library of the Marbach monastery
- Former library of the Murbach monastery
- Former library of the Öhningen monastery
- Former library of the Pairis monastery (scriptorium)
- Former library of Polling Monastery
- Former library of the Reichenau monastery
- Former library of the Rheinau monastery, now the Zurich Central Library
- Former library of the Rottenbuch monastery after being sold, it mostly ended up in a paper mill
- Former library of the Sázava monastery
- Former monastery library in Scheyern monastery
- Former library of the Schönensteinbach monastery
- Former monastery library of the Schussenried monastery
- Former library of the Schuttern monastery
- Former library of the Schwarzach monastery
- Former library of Schwarzenbroich Abbey, a missal from 1340 in the former collection of Count Pierre Etienne Méjan
- Former library of the Schwarzenthann Monastery with the Guta-Sintram Codex
- Former library of Signy Monastery
- Former library of the Sponheim monastery increased by the abbot Johannes Trithemius
- Former library of the Steingaden monastery
- Former library of the St. Katharinental Monastery with the St. Katharinentaler Graduale
- Former library of the St. Märgen Monastery
- Former library of the St. Margarethental Monastery
- Former library of the St. Trudpert Monastery with the St. Trudpert Song of Songs
- Former library of the Tegernsee monastery
- Former library of the Tennenbach monastery
- Former library of the St. Martin monastery in Tournai with the chronicles of Gilles Li Muisis created here
- Former library of the St. Veit monastery. Purchase by Ludwig Rosenthal
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Meister_des_Hildegardis-Codex_001.jpg/220px-Meister_des_Hildegardis-Codex_001.jpg)
- Former library of the Vornbach monastery
- Former library of the Wonnental monastery
- Former library of Richard Aungerville
- Former library of the Lobris manor in Silesia, purchased by Ludwig Rosenthal
- Former library of Inzigkofen Abbey , newly recorded by Werner Fechter
- Former library of the Pöllau Abbey
- Former library of the Reichersberg Abbey burned in 1624, renovated in 1695
- Former library in the Dominican Church in Strasbourg with the Hortus Deliciarum
- Former cathedral library in Konstanz
- Former Helmstedt University Library a fragment of the Sachsenspiegel
- Convent library Kloster Wald
- Wedinghausen monastery library and historical school library of the Laurentianum Arnsberg grammar school in Arnsberg
- Monastery library Kloster Werden
- Monastery library Monastery Salem with Liber Scivias by Hildegard von Bingen today in the University Library of Heidelberg
- Monastery library Wiblingen
- Monastery library monastery Zwiefalten
- Liberei in Braunschweig
- Michel de Montaignes Tower Library
University libraries with mediaeval holdings
- Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg
- Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana , part of the Amsterdam University Library
- Library of the Montan University Leoben , contains medieval works
- Library of Trinity College in Dublin with the Book of Kells and other major works of island illumination
- Bodleian Library
- Dillingen Study Library
- Book Museum of the SLUB Dresden
- Cambridge University Library
- Carolina Rediviva at Uppsala University with the Codex Argenteus
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Wulfila_bibel.jpg/220px-Wulfila_bibel.jpg)
- Cantonal and University Library Friborg (Switzerland)
- Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne
- Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
- National and University Library of Iceland
- Lower Saxony State and University Library Göttingen
- State and University Library Bremen, among other things, with the collection of Melchior Goldast
- Thuringian University and State Library Jena the Jena song manuscript
- University and Research Library Erfurt / Gotha contains the Bibliotheca Amploniana
- Augsburg University Library , including the Oettingen-Wallerstein library
- Basel University Library
- Wroclaw University Library
- Budapest University Library with the Department of Medieval Hungarian Literature
- Freiburg University Library
- University Library Graz
- Greifswald University Library
- Heidelberg University Library with the Codex Manesse
- Innsbruck University Library with the former library from Ambras Castle and the song manuscript of Oswald von Wolkenstein
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University Library KlagenfurtMieszko II. And Mathilde von Schwaben on the dedication picture of the Liber de divinis officiis; St. Gallen first quarter of the 11th century. Düsseldorf, University and State Library, Ms.C 91, (lost), fol. 3r
- Cluj-Napoca University Library
- University library of Konstanz with the former library of Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg
- University and State Library of Saxony-Anhalt
- University and State Library of Tyrol
- University and State Library Düsseldorf
- Leiden University Library , a desk library
- Leipzig University Library
- Leuven University Library
- Lund University Library
- Mainz University Library
- Princeton University Library with the Scheide Library
- University Library of Würzburg
- Utrecht University Library
- Vilnius University Library
- University Library Tübingen the imperial chronicle
- University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg
- University and State Library Darmstadt contains the Richeza Gospels and the Hitda Gospels
- University of Michigan
Collectors, antiquarians or other owners of medieval manuscripts
- Guglielmo Libri
- George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham , including Stowe Missal
- Hans Peter Kraus
literature
- Bernhard Bischoff , The southeast German writing schools and libraries in the Carolingian period , Part I: The Bavarian Dioceses , Leipzig 1940 (2nd edition: Wiesbaden 1960, 3rd edition: Wiesbaden 1974); Part II: The predominantly Austrian dioceses , Wiesbaden 1980
- Armin Schlechter , The library as a collection , in: Wolfenbütteler Notes on Book History in collaboration with the Wolfenbütteler Working Group for Library, Book and Media History, published by the Herzog August Library, 1999, pp. 67-78
- Peter Vodosek (Ed.): Library history as a scientific discipline. Contributions to theory and practice. Lectures of the seventh advanced training seminar for librarians from January 23 to 25, 1979 in the Herzog August Library Wolfenbüttel , Hauswedell, Hamburg 1980, ISBN 3-7762-0204-1 .
See also
- Aristocratic library
- Library history
- Loss of books in late antiquity
- Codices Latini Antiquiores
- Handbook of the historical book collections
- Manuscript census
- Medieval book art
- Medieval library catalogs in Germany and Switzerland
- List of RISM library sigla (locations of music manuscripts)
Web links
Scientific research and information on manuscripts can be found at:
- Handwriting portal Manuscripta Mediaevalia
- E-Manuscripta platform for digitized handwritten sources from Switzerland
- Weblog Archivalia for manuscripts and old prints
- Website Historical Auxiliary Sciences by Horst Enzensberger
- MDZ Munich Digitization Center of the Bavarian State Library
- Website DigiZeitschriften
Individual evidence
- ↑ Library | Herborn Theological Seminar. Retrieved August 21, 2019 .