Book treasures saved for the future
City Library: Six volumes from the 16th century - important sources on the Reformation and Counter-Reformation
In 2023, valuable copies from the historical collection of Chemnitz City Library could once again be restored - thanks to the financial support of the Coordination Centre for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) in Berlin and the Chemnitz City Library Supporters' Association.
The six volumes from the 16th century that were saved from decay are important sources on the Reformation and Counter-Reformation that provide insights into the fierceness of the religious conflicts and the resulting insecurities and fears of the people.
Among them is an anthology of 87 occasional writings by various authors on inexplicable celestial phenomena, extreme weather events, monstrosities and curiosities, possession phenomena and gruesome deaths.
A German-language edition of the Reformation history "De statu religionis et reipublicae" by the jurist and diplomat Johannes Sleidanus, printed in Frankfurt am Main in 1564, was also stabilised by renewing the stitching and repairing the damaged binding. The work deals with politics and religion during the reign of Emperor Charles V and is considered an outstanding contemporary account of the Reformation.
The Chemnitz City Library holds several thousand volumes that were published before 1850 and are therefore part of the written cultural heritage. The damage caused by use and unfavourable storage over the centuries requires professional restoration measures, which cannot be financed by the library budget alone.
The funding of one-year pilot projects by the Coordination Centre for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BMK) and the Cultural Foundation of the Federal States (KSL) is a great help in tackling this task. Since 2016, 21 book treasures have been restored with their support. An application for funding has already been submitted for 2024. It is hoped that the grant will be approved.
Another pillar of the preservation of the Chemnitz City Library is the commitment of the citizens of Chemnitz. The association "Förderer der Stadtbibliothek Chemnitz e. V." has been recruiting book sponsors for 14 years now, who donate to the restoration of "problem books" and thus contribute to the preservation of the written cultural heritage.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a bibliophile treasure can find out more about the "Book sponsors wanted" project on the association's website www.foerderverein-stadtbibliothek-chemnitz.de.