Schools of Central Europe III

Whereas the Austrian State Library`s holdings of illuminated medieval manuscripts from Western Europe and Italy are for the major part published ( the two last volumes of the "Flemish" School will be ready for print within this year), its extensive funds of Central European manuscripts remain still largely unknown even to the specialist. The project therefore aims at investigating this large number of 15th/16th century illuminated books in order to complete the catalogue of the "Central European Schools". Central European manuscripts dating from about 1250 to 1350 were already published in 1997 ("Central Europen Schools", vol.I). Volume II of "Central European Schools" (from about 1350 to 1400) is nearly ready to be published. The library`s funds of the subsequent period (15th and 16th centuries) reflect the growing importance of book production of the time - by quality as well as by number. The presently submitted project requires, for these further volumes, the collaboration of the hitherto co- author/author of the volumes on the French and Flemish Schools of illumination to support the research in what concerns the increasing influence from Western Art on the Central European book production as well as special text investigations concerning such subjects which are based primarily on Western sources (e.g. the "Histoire de Troie").