Herzog August Bibliothek
Encyclopedia
The Herzog August Library ( — "HAB"), in Wolfenbüttel
, (Niedersachsen
), known also as Bibliotheca Augusta, it has an international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages
and Early modern Europe
. The library is overseen by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture. The HAB cooperates with the International College of Scientifics.
, in 1572. In the 17th century it was the largest library north of the Alps
.
In 2006 the library housed c. 900 000 books, 350 000 of them were printed from the 15th to the 18th century.
Notable librarians have included
.jpg)
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
, (Niedersachsen
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
), known also as Bibliotheca Augusta, it has an international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and Early modern Europe
Early modern Europe
Early modern Europe is the term used by historians to refer to a period in the history of Europe which spanned the centuries between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the late 15th century to the late 18th century...
. The library is overseen by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture. The HAB cooperates with the International College of Scientifics.
History
The library was founded by Julius, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgJulius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1568 until his death....
, in 1572. In the 17th century it was the largest library north of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
.
In 2006 the library housed c. 900 000 books, 350 000 of them were printed from the 15th to the 18th century.
Notable librarians have included
- 1604–1666: Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgAugustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgAugustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg , called the Younger, was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In the estate division of the House of Welf of 1635, he received the Principality of Wolfenbüttel....
- 1691–1716: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
- 1770–1781: Gotthold Ephraim LessingGotthold Ephraim LessingGotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature...
- 1968–1992: Paul Raabe
Some manuscripts
- The famous palimpsestPalimpsestA palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
Codex Guelferbytanus 64 Weissenburgensis, which contains in the lower text Codex Guelferbytanus ACodex Guelferbytanus ACodex Guelferbytanus A designated by Pe or 024 , ε 33 , is a Greek uncial manuscript of the Gospels, dated palaeographically to the 6th century. The manuscript is very lacunose.- Description :...
, Codex Guelferbytanus BCodex Guelferbytanus BCodex Guelferbytanus B designated by Q or 026 , ε 4 , is a Greek uncial manuscript of the Gospels, dated palaeographically to the 5th century.It is a palimpsest.- Contents :Gospel of Luke...
, and Codex CarolinusCodex CarolinusCodex Carolinus is a Gothic-Latin diglot uncial manuscript of the New Testament on parchment, dated to the 6th or 7th century. The Gothic text is designated by siglum Car, the Latin text is designated by siglum gue or by 79 , it represents the Old Latin translation of the New Testament...
. - Gospels of Henry the LionGospels of Henry the LionThe Gospels of Henry the Lion were intended by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, for the altar of the Virgin Mary in the church of St. Blaise's Abbey, Brunswick, better known as Brunswick Cathedral. The volume is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque book illumination of the 12th century.The gospel...
- Liber FloridusLiber FloridusLiber Floridus is a medieval encyclopedia that was compiled between 1090 and 1120 by Lambert, Canon of Saint-Omer. The text compiles extracts from some 192 or so different works....
ca. 1150 - Minuscule 97Minuscule 97Minuscule 97 , α 260 , is a Greek language minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment leaves. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century. The manuscript is lacunose...
- Minuscule 126Minuscule 126Minuscule 126 , ε 185 . It is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, written on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century. It has complex contents with full marginalia.- Description :The manuscript contains a complete text of the four Gospels on 219 parchment...
- Minuscule 429Minuscule 429Minuscule 429 , α 398 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on cotton paper. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 14th century .- Description :...
- Nine volumes from the library of Matthias CorvinusBibliotheca CorvinianaBibliotheca Corviniana was one of the most renowned libraries of the Renaissance world, established by Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia between 1458 and 1490.-History:...
- Schönrainer Liederhandschrift
- Visio GodeschalciVisio GodeschalciVisio Godeschalci is a 12th century text relating the vision of a peasant of Harrie, now Großharrie in Holstein, named Gottschalk. In December 1189, during the siege of Segeberg castle, Gottschalk fell ill, and during five days was presumed dead....
- Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum
Further reading
- Andrea Kastens (Hrsg.): Herzog-August-Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel. Westermann, Braunschweig 1978,
- Leo G. Linder: Die Herzog-August-Bibliothek und Wolfenbüttel. Braunschweig 1997, ISBN 3-07-509702-0
- Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer (Ed.): A treasure house of books: the library of Duke August of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (an exhibition at the Grolier Club, 8 December 1998 through 6 February 1999). Wiesbaden 1998, ISBN 3-447-04119-6