Treasures from the Austrian National Library
The grand capital of Vienna is a gorgeous reminder of the great empire and leading role Austria held in Europe for centuries as the shield of Christendom against the Ottoman Turks and the leading power in Central Europe. The Austrian National Library is among the monuments to this glorious past and is part of the Hofburg, the grand complex of buildings that once served as the Hapsburgâs imperial palace. Originating in the 14th century, the massive library includes numerous collections and houses four museums. Its comprehensive collection of medieval manuscripts covers virtually every literate culture because they were often included in the dowries of the Hapsburgsâ dynastic marriages, continuously enriching Austriaâs bibliographic riches as a result.
Treasures from the Austrian National Library
Formerly the Imperial Library, the Austrian National Library is one of the finest institutions of its kind in the world, with collections exceeding 12 million items. It was established in 1368 by Duke Albert III of Austria (1349â95), who moved his collections from a vault into a library where his scribes could begin translating Latin manuscripts. Its collections were added to by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III (1415â93) with great works like the Wenceslas Bible and a magnificent illuminated manuscript of the Golden Bull, both created ca. 1400. The marriage of Emperor Maximilian I (1459â1519) to Mary of Burgundy (1457â82) brought with it a dowry that included many books from the rich Duchy Burgundy, which once stretched across eastern and northern France to the Netherlands. Emperor Maximilian II (1527â76) appointed Hugo Blotius (1533â1608) to be the first head librarian in 1575. The library was further appended in 1737 by the collection of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663â1736), who was equally a great warrior and patron of the arts; his collection added 15,000+ volumes including many Italian and French works. Housed in a magnificent wing of the Hofburg in the center of Vienna, this collectionâs repository is a monument to its incredible collections, including some of the finest illuminated manuscripts in the world.
These ten specimens represent some of the highlights of this incredible manuscript collection:
1. Joseph and the Wife of Potiphar
Vienna Genesis, 6th century
Christâs Arrest
Black Prayer Book of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Flanders, ca. 1466â1476Michaelâs Battle with the Dragon
Book of Hours, Avignon, ca. 1400The Last Judgement
Bohun Psalter, London (?) ca. 1330/60The Legend of Luke
Evangeliary of Johannes von Troppau, 1368John and Procheros
Athos Evangeliary, 12th centuryInitial Page âTEâ to the Canon Missae
Fragment of a Carolingian Sacramentary, ca. 860Adoration of the Magi, Baptism of Christ
Antiphonary of Saint Peter, Salzburg, ca. 1160God as Architect of the World
Bible moralisée, France, ca. 1220Instructing Maximilian
Textbook for Emperor Maximilian, Vienna, ca. 1470
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Kassette SchĂ€tze der Ăsterreichischen Nationalbibliothek
- Origin
- France
- Date
- 6thâ15th century
- Genre
- Illustrations
- 10 miniatures
- Content
- Ten leaves from important manuscripts from the Austrian National Library
#1 Kassette SchĂ€tze der Ăsterreichischen Nationalbibliothek
Language: German
(under 1,000âŹ)
- Treatises / Secular Books
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- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
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