First Chemnitz chronicle restored
Ten early modern chronicles of towns and communities in the Chemnitz region have been restored from the city library's historical collection. Among them is the first coherent account of Chemnitz's history in German, entitled "Historische Nachricht von denen vornehmsten Denckwürdigkeiten der Stadt Chemnitz, besonders Ihren vor nunmehro hundert Jahren erlittenen Drangsalen". The chronicle was published anonymously in 1734, but can be attributed with certainty to the then Chemnitz town clerk and syndic Johann Gottlob Richter on the basis of contemporary statements.
Most of the other works saved from decay are writings by important Erzgebirge chroniclers such as Paul Jenisch (Annaberger Chronik, 1605), Christian Lehmann (Historischer Schauplatz des Obererzgebirges, 1699), Christian Meltzer (Geschichte Schneebergs, 1716) and Johann Christian Engelschall (Beschreibung von Johanngeorgenstadt, 1723).
Three Leipzig workshops were commissioned to restore the volumes. There, the individual book pages were cleaned, tears in the paper treated, the stitching stabilised and desolate bindings repaired. In this way, the damage to the valuable originals could be repaired. Once they have returned to Chemnitz, the books will be stored in climate-controlled storage rooms in the city library to ensure that they can be used by future generations.
The restoration work could be realised with the financial support of the Coordination Office 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).
In addition to the Coordination Centre for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) in Berlin, the association "Förderer der Stadtbibliothek Chemnitz e. V." has been supporting the preservation of originals for 15 years now. More than 60 works, some of them badly damaged, have already been restored thanks to donations raised through the "Book sponsors wanted" project.
If you would like to sponsor a bibliophile treasure, you can find out more on the association's website:
www.foerderverein-stadtbibliothek-chemnitz.de/index.php/projekte/buchpaten-gesucht