Indexing of manuscripts of the ULB Tirol, Cod. 701-950

It is of the utmost importance for the Arts, especially for history-orientated subjects, as well as other areas such as theology, law, history of sciences, etc. to disclose medieval and modern manuscripts as transmitters of ancient, medieval and modern cultures. In spite of that only a small part of these extensive sources are known and made accessible as a basis for further research. Before the task of cataloguing in the University and Regional Library of the Tyrol (ULB Tyrol) in Innsbruck began, it was necessary to treat the existing manuscripts with scientific procedures. Up to that time there were only two written catalogues, which did not fulfill the modern day standards of work, such as an appropriate treatment of the exterior of the manuscripts (description of the writing, artistic elements, binding), detailed information on the origin and history of the manuscripts and an exact disclosure of the contents. Therefore under the aegis of the Commission for Paleography and Codicology of Medieval Manuscripts (Kommission für Schrift- und Buchwesen des Mittelalters) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) a scientific catalogue that maintains the Commission`s instructions was begun. Up to now six volumes have been published (1987, 1991, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009). Work at volume 7 will be finished in autumn 2009. In the beginning stages the work on the Innsbruck manuscripts was not within the framework of a project but took place alongside other agendas during work hours as well as in the spare time of the proposer (at that time head of the Department of Old and Rare Books [Abteilung für Sondersammlungen]) with the help of colleagues (Cod. 1- 100, Cod. 101-200). After the appointment of the abovementioned compiler to director of the ULB Tyrol in 1991, the cataloguing could not be continued in the same way. Applications for continuing the cataloguing for the 4th -7th volume were proposed and granted in the form of a project supported by the FWF (projekt nr. P10591-HIS, P13282-ARS, P16287-G06, P18856-G08), project supervisor Dr. Neuhauser. Since the published volumes of the Innsbruck manuscript catalogue have so far received positive reviews and its significance was highly praised in the last evaluation of the Commission for Paleography and Codicology of Medieval Manuscripts and its projects, the procedure of cataloguing should be continued in the same way as in the past. In order to continue with as few interruptions as possible, it is requested to process the 8th and 9th volumes, even before the 7th volume is completed. As in the past, the project for the 8th and 9th volumes will follow the guidelines set up by the Commission for Paleography and Codicology of Medieval Manuscripts of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The catalogue too attaches great importance to the history of each manuscript. Indices, appendices and an added CD-Rom, which comprises reproductions of the illuminations, paleographic writing samples and illustrations of the watermarks, make handling the catalogue easier. Additionally and parallel to the work at the printed version, data that are obtained in the course of cataloguing are made accessible online and cooperation with national and international data banks is extended.

The manuscript catalogue of the University and Provincial Library Tirol (ULBT) in Innsbruck is aimed at the scientific cataloguing of the librarys manuscript collection - which has to this point never been completed - by means of a printed catalogue and the additional incorporation into the Austrian web-database manuscripta.at. In 1973, the endeavor project was begun according to the Richtlinien für die Katalogisierung der Handschriften- modern guidelines worked out by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, ÖAW). All catalogues are being published in the ÖAW-series Denkschriften. Up to volume 5, the printing was supported by the FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung) and from that point on taken over by the ULBT. The first two parts of the series were finalized at the librarys Department for Manuscripts and Rare Books and thereupon edited in the framework of several FWF-projects. The recently finished project P22176-G18 contains volumes 8 and 9 of the series, ranging from signatures Cod. 701 to 950 and divided into the volumes 701800 and 801950. It was carried out under the honorary direction of the former head of the library, HR Dr. Walter Neuhauser. The team members - paid by the FWF and working various weekly hours - were Mag. Petra Ausserlechner, retired Assistant Professor Dr. Helmut Gritsch, Dr. Alexandra Ohlenschläger and Dr. Ursula Stampfer, supported by Dr. Claudia Schretter-Picker, Mag. Patrick Kennel, Mag. Rita Neyer and Prof. Dr. Kurt Girstmair. After the start on March 1st 2010 and repeated self-financed extensions due to personnel shortage, the project was finished on April 30th 2014 - volume 8 being published in May 2014 and volume 9 being submitted to the ÖAW for printing by July 2014.The eighth volume generally falls in line with the former catalogues, containing mainly Latin manuscripts of theological character. The ninth volume, by contrast, features a large number of codices that are archival in nature. Examples are the Tyrolean chronicles by Christoph Wilhelm Putsch and Marx Sittich von Wolkenstein - though known, they had been only partially edited and were closely observed codicologically for the first time here; moreover, a heretofore unknown translation into Latin of the 1532 Tyrolean diet, collections of source material on the arguments between the government of Tirol and the Hochstift Brixen and Trient as well as case files were brought to light. Eight manuscripts by the Brixen-based notary and canon Jakob Faber were discovered. Of particular interest are 21 codices containing the works of Tyrolean historian Anton Roschmann, the first head of the ULBT, on Tirols history, church history and archeology. Two medieval codices may be considered cimelia: Cod. 900, a richly illuminated work by Hugo von Trimberg entitled Der Renner, and Cod. 922, the so-called Spiegel deutscher Leute, a work of legal content similar to the Schwabenspiegel, but handed down only in this codex.The manuscript project at the ULBT has inspired several similar projects in the region of Tirol. This marks an important step in achieving the goal of region-wide cataloguing.