Schools of Eastern Central Europe I, II

< Research project P 14347 Schools of Eastern Central Europe I, II Ulrike JENNI 08.05.2000 Illuminated Manuscripts from Bohemia, Moravia, and Hungary. 1350 - 1400 Whereas the Austrian State Library`s holdings of illuminated medieval manuscripts from Western Europe and Italy are for the major part published, its extensive funds of Bohemian, Moravian, and Hungarian manuscripts remain still largely unknown even to the specialist. The project therefore aims to investigate this large (and during the process of going through the material still increasing) number of 14th century illuminated books in order to complete the catalogue of the "Schools of Eastern-Central Europe". Bohemian manuscripts dating from about 1250 to 1350 were already published in 1997, as a part of "Central European Schools, vol. I". Since the library`s funds of the subsequent period (1350 - 1400) reflect the growing richness of bookproduction of the time - by quality as well as by number -, a special series for the "Schools of Eastern-Central Europe" had to be initiated. It will include all codices originating from Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Silesia, and Hungary, describing - among many others - the famous manuscripts produced for king Venceslas in Prague within a seperate (second) volume. Several articles for the first volume of the catalogue should be ready for print by the end of 2000. The presently submitted project urgently requires a second arthistorian to support the final revision of the first volume (also bearing in mind the time-table) and to assist furtheron with researchwork for the"Schools of Eastern- Central Europe, vol. II".

The project aimed to investigate all illuminated books of the second half of the 14th century, originating from Eastern-Central-Europe and now held by the Austrian National Library. Due to the rich material the catalogue had to be split into two volumes; the first one deals with universitarian and monastic manuscripts. 47 of all illuminated manuscripts chosen for the first volume originate from Bohemia, 14 are of Moravian provenance, and only four have been produced in Silesia and Hungary. Many of them are compilations of theological texts for study at the Prague university or at the convents. These manuscripts were mostly made of paper, a new material, which was to be increasingly used since the middle of the 14th century. Paper manuscripts do not only give a close look at the mainstream of book production, they are also often dated by explicits, and even tell us the names of either the scribe or the holder of the manuscript. Moreover, we can date the books by watermarks and also by their special bindings, which in most cases are still original. In other words: Book decorations of these early paper manuscripts turn out to be precious instruments for dating the pergament manuscripts too. Mere pergament was still obligatory for books used during the services, such as missals or canzionales, and also for bibles and breviaries. These were illuminated with colourful initials, rich miniature cycles and goldleaf decorations - the more splendid, the more important their donator. The famous evangeliar of John of Opava certainly is to be mentioned as the artisticly most outraging manuscript among all. Other important works of art, like the missal of Geras and the Moravian bible, are profoundly discussed in this catalogue for the first time. "Central European Schools III" also provides information on the very special iconographic tradition of the region. An introduction to religious and every days life in Bohemia is given along with the legends of the codex of Krumau, created around 1350; other specific details on saints and calenders are to be found within individual catalogue-numbers, and in extensive registers.