Losbuch of Konrad Bollstatter

Lot books or books of sorts were used to predict a wide variety of issues, from weather reports and romantic relationships to political developments
The genre was particularly popular in Europe between the 14th and 16th centuries and today provides us with important insights into the concerns and hopes of the people of that time
The chancery scribe Konrad Bollstatter (c. 1420/30 – c. 1482/83) created a personal collection of lot books, which he illuminated with 340 pen-and-ink drawings

Losbuch of Konrad Bollstatter

Cgm 312 Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Munich, Germany)

Description

Losbuch of Konrad Bollstatter

Fortune-telling books, also called Losbücher, lot books or books of sorts, were a real bestseller genre in Europe from the 14th to the 16th century, even though they were considered sorcery, especially during the persecution of "witches", and were therefore actually banned. The professional writer Konrad Bollstatter (c. 1420/30 – c. 1482/83) was also fascinated by the glimpse into the future and the various methods of divination revealed in the lot books in circulation. As a scribe in the chancery of the Counts of Öttingen, he also had full access to the count's library and thus enjoyed a comprehensive knowledge of older German literature. It is therefore hardly surprising that between 1450 and 1473 he created his own personal and richly illuminated book of sorts. In it, he compiled the texts of nine older lot books that he seemed to have enjoyed, and wrote a tenth text himself. The latter served as a playful divination of 16 questions on topics such as love, happiness, and wealth. Taken as a whole, this fascinating collection of texts provides exciting insights into the late medieval system of values and reveals many of the concerns and hopes of the people of that time.

Codicology

Alternative Titles: Ein Losbuch Konrad Bollstatters: Aus Codex Germanicus Monacensis 312 der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München
Konrad Bollstatter: Ein mittelalterliches Wahrsagespiel. Konrad Bollstatters Losbuch in CGM 312 der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München
Losbuch Konrad Bollstatters
Type: Manuscript on paper
Size / Format: 354 pages / 29.5 × 20.5 cm
Origin: Germany
Date: 1450–1473
Epochs: Late Middle Ages Onwards
Style: Gothic
Genre: Prophecies / Divination
Language: German
Script: Littera bastarda
Illustrations: 340 pen-and-ink drawings, 259 of which are colored and 16 washed, as well as 32 diagrams
Content: A Losbuch for the playful divination of 16 questions on topics such as love, happiness, and wealth.
Artist / School: Konrad Bollstatter (author and scribe)
Previous Owners: Konrad Bollstatter (ca. 1420–1482)
Benedictine Abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg

Available facsimile editions:

Facsimile Editions

#1 Konrad Bollstatter: Ein mittelalterliches Wahrsagespiel. Konrad Bollstatters Losbuch in CGM 312 der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München

Reichert Verlag – Wiesbaden, 1973

Publisher: Reichert Verlag – Wiesbaden, 1973

Commentary: 1 volume (44 pp.) by Karin Schneider
Language: German

1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of folios 120r to 143r of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.

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Losbuch of Konrad Bollstatter