Early prints of the State Archive Library in Olsztyn and Their Provenance
Early prints of the State Archive Library in Olsztyn and Their Provenance

Summary/Abstract: The early prints housed in the State Archive Library in Olsztyn have not yet been the subjectof research. They were acquired between 1947 and 1951 during efforts to secure archival and library collections from the territories of East Prussia. A comprehensive assessment of 783 volumeswas conducted to examine their provenance. The study provides an in-depth analysis of fragmentsfrom significant historical collections in Warmia, notably The Library of the Lyceum Hosianum,which is the successor of the Jesuit college library in Braniewo, and the Library of the Benefice of St.Anne in Pieniężno. The text also briefly characterises the prints from the manor libraries of Dohnówin Markowo and the Finckensteins in Jaśków. Additionally, it outlines the collections evacuated byGerman authorities from Königsberg, which were deposited in estates of East Prussian familiesand various locations with the intention of transporting them to the Reich. The resources of the Mu-nicipal Library in Königsberg are presented in general terms. The need for further detailed researchand identification of owners for both single and multiple copies of books is emphasised. This workwill be facilitated by the Electronic Provenance Database, developed by the library staff as partof the project “Pre-war Collections as a Source for the History of Warmia and Masuria”.

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