Successful restoration of two valuable missals
From 1 October, an exhibition in the city library will show the process
In 2020, funds from the Coordination Centre for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) enabled the restoration of two valuable exhibits from the City Library's collection, i.e. two rare missals from the Diocese of Meissen (1495 and 1500). A small exhibition on display in the Science & Technology section of Chemnitz City Library from 1 October to 13 November 2021 illustrates the restoration process.
The missals for the diocese of Meissen were printed seven times in total, three of them in Saxony. The Chemnitz City Library has two different editions of these rare surviving prints. The missals printed with movable type in the early days of printing are so-called incunabula, as they were published between the completion of the Gutenberg Bible in 1454 and 1500.
The two missals, which differ only for a few feast days, allow comparisons to be made and knowledge to be gained, especially as relatively little is known about the liturgy of the diocese of Meissen due to the sources available.
The complexity of the damage to the volumes necessitated prompt restoration in order to prevent further loss of substance. The texts to be spoken, sung and prayed were compiled in a missal in the order of the feast days.
The particularly valuable cultural assets in the Chemnitz City Library's collection include around 3,500 media published up to 1850. These include medieval manuscripts, incunabula and prints from the 16th to the middle of the 19th century. They have suffered considerable damage over the centuries due to use, the effects of war, fires, water, relocation and unfavourable storage conditions.
Since the historical holdings were returned to the Saxon State Library in Dresden as a deposit in 1965, the Chemnitz City Library has continuously organised restoration work.
The Coordination Centre for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) provides funding to enable the prompt restoration of important titles in order to secure the existence of endangered originals from Germany's rich cultural and scientific heritage and preserve them for future generations. The Chemnitz City Library was recently promised further funding for 2021.
Even though the majority of former "problem books" have already been saved through restoration, there are still more bibliophile treasures waiting to be restored in the vaults of the city library.
The "Friends of the City Library" association is constantly and tirelessly committed to acquiring financial resources for restoration work. However, the size and condition of the collection require further help.
We are therefore still looking for people interested in sponsoring books. The Friends of Chemnitz City Library will be happy to advise you.
Contact the association:
"Friends of the Chemnitz City Library" e. V.
c/o TIETZ, Moritzstr. 20, 09111 Chemnitz, Room 3.14
Tue 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. / 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: 0371 488-4219, Fax: 0371 488-4293
E-mail: foerderverein(at)stadtbibliothek-chemnitz.de