Mitteleuropäische Schulen III

The first volume of Eastern Central European Mansucripts (Mitteleuropäische Schulen III) will cover the years from approx. 1350 to 1400. It proved useful to publish the highly representative manuscripts, which were made for emperor Venceslas IV. and his court within a separate (second) volume, and to dedicate the first volume to average bookproduction of this period such as psalters, breviers, bibles, further more universitarian, philosophical and medical manuscripts etc. Many of these codices were already written on paper. Consequently, the medium became more affordable, which in many cases led to a more simplified oramental book decoration (drawings and filigranes). The Austrian National Library holds numerous monasterial and universitarian manuscripts, which exemplarily demonstrate this development. Since most paper codices can be dated either by water-marks or writers` explicits, they represent an important basis for the filiation of other - so far undateable - decorated manuscripts. (The publication of this material will therefor be an important aid for librarians and arthistorians.) Representative codices, however, were always written on pergament. Their high quality book-illuminiation competes with courtly art, particularly since their owners or dedicators often were noblemen/women. The Evangeliar of Johann of Troppau (Cod. 1182), an unfinished Bible from Moravia (Cod. 1189) and the Missale of Geras (Ser.n. 3516) are to be mentioned as brilliant highlights. An introduction to the specific iconography of saints in the Bohemian countries is given by comprehensive explanations on legends and lives of saints shown in the so-called Krumauer Bildercodex (Cod. 380), and deepend by comparing with further examples of artifacts originating from 14th century Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Hungary.