The collection of the incunabula in the Palace Library in Kroměříž Cover Image

Zbiory inkunabułów w Bibliotece Pałacowej w Kromieryżu (Kroměříž)
The collection of the incunabula in the Palace Library in Kroměříž

Author(s): Jana Adamusová, Zuzana Bernátová, Miroslav Myšák, Aneta Richterová
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History, Library and Information Science, History of Religion
Published by: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II - Wydział Teologii
Keywords: Kroměříž; incunabula; the Palace Library; polonika (Polish documents); the Czech Republic

Summary/Abstract: The article aims to present to the Polish reader the Olomouc bishops’ and archbishops’ book collections, which are held in the Archbishop Palace in Kroměříž in Moravia; a special attention is paid to incunabula. Kroměříž palace library was established in the 17th century by Bishop Karol Lichtenstein-Castelcorn. Initially, the collection of the incunabula was a small one (in the time of Bishop Lichtenstein, there were only several titles), but over centuries it grew to 178 titles in 172 volumes and is currently one of the biggest collections of this type in the Czech Republic. The collection grew fastest in the second half of the 19th century thanks to the activity of Bishop Friedrich Egon von Fürstenberg, who acquired books from two sources: the Court Library in Vienna and Vienna antiquarian bookshops. In the 1830s, the palace librarian, Franz Josse, began describing the collection of the incunabula. Later the collection was described a few more times. The findings of the latest research, conducted in the years 2015-2017, were presented in an extensive catalogue entitled Kroměřížská Zámecká Knihovna I. Prvotisky. The catalogue includes the list of all discovered Kroměříž incunabula along with a detailed description (provenance, binding etc.). The collection of the incunabula is diverse; the works it contains are on various subjects and of different provenance: in addition to the prints from Western Europe, for example, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, there are also prints from Central Europe, including two prints which come from the areas incorporated into Poland after World War II – from Paczków and Głogów.

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 110
  • Page Range: 9-22
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Polish