Memory of the World Register - Nomination Form. Slovakia - Illuminated codices from the Library of the Bratislava Chapter House

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1 Memory of the World Register - Nomination Form Slovakia - Illuminated codices from the Library of the Bratislava Chapter House Abstract The fate of Slovakia's documentary heritage has been shaped over the centuries by a number of political, cultural and social phenomena. The historical territory of Slovakia itself has been a permanent meeting ground of political interests and cultural influences from the whole of Europe. The Antiphonaries of Bratislava belong to the most significant and most representative monuments of the book culture in Bratislava and Central Europe. Identity and Location Name of the Documentary Heritage: Illuminated codices from the Library of the Bratislava Chapter House Country: Slovak Republic State, Province or Region: Slovak Republic Address: Drotárska 42, Bratislava Name of Institution: Slovenský národný archív / The Slovak National Archives Legal Information Owner: l State - The Slovak Republic Custodian: The Slovak National Archives Drotárska 42, Bratislava Phone / , , , Fax / PhDr. Marta Melníková Phone Ing. Jozef Hanus CSc. Phone Legal Status: Category of ownership: State - public Details of legal and administrative provisions for the preservation of the documentary heritage: The Slovak National Archives, according to the Law on Archives no. 149/1975 and the Amendment to the Law no. 571/1991, collects, professionally arranges, makes accessible, uses and preserves the archival holdings. It means that legal and administrative provisions for the preservation of the documentary heritage are guaranteed. Accessibility: In compliance with the above mentioned Law, in all state archives the archival documents older than thirty years are available for study. The

2 codices are available for expert and scientific study exclusively in the search room of the Slovak National Archives. Copyright status: The Slovak National Archives, The Slovak Committee for UNESCO's "Memory of the World" and some other selected institutions and authors. Responsible administration: The proper management of the documentary heritage is ensured through the fulfillment of the above mentioned Law by the highly professional activities of the Slovak National Archives in the field of archival science and preservation of archival holdings Identification Description: Within the context of the Slovak written cultural heritage, the Library of the Bratislava Chapter House represents a unique phenomena by its extent (more than volumes), antiquity (books from the 12th to the 19th centuries) as well as by its content of profane and religious literature. This Library also contains the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, and historically and artistically most valuable set of medieval manuscript book works in Slovakia. Of the original 139 medieval codices recorded in the 19th, the holding nowadays contains 101 medieval manuscript volumes from the period of the 12 th to 16th centuries. Musical codices - Bratislava antiphonaries I. - V. from the 15th and 16th centuries, belonging to the set of Slovak provenance, were probably created in the scriptorium at the St. Martin's Cathedral from the initiative of Bratislava canon J. Haan (died in 1500). They contain numerous illuminations and illustrations. Bibliographic details: Musical codices - Bratislava antiphonaries I. - V. are registered according to the following sources: - Knaus, N.: A Pozsonyi káptalannak kéziratai. Esztergom 1870, nr. 3, 4, 1, 2, Sopko, J.: Codices Latini Medii Aevi Bibliothecarum Slovacie. Matica slovenská Martin 1981, nr. 4, 6 et 30, 7, 29, Archív mesta Bratislavy (The Archives of the Capital of the Slovak Republic Bratislava), EC Lad. 3, 4, 6, 2. History: Archival documents prove that the Library of the Bratislava Chapter was created and gradually building up from the 13th century; manuscript and printed books include 86 incunabula which were continually using for seven centuries in the activities of the Bratislava Chapter, a significant church institution, medieval public-legal and cultural centre with wide range of activities. Bibliography: Sopko, J.: Z èinnosti kultúrnych stredísk stredovekej Bratislavy (From the activities of the cultural centres of medieval Bratislava). In: Bratislava VI, 1970, s

3 Sopko, J.: Die Kodizes Mittelalterlichen Pressburgs. In: Stätte in Doneraum, Bratislava, 1993, s Gntherova;, A., MIŠIANIK, J.: Stredoveká kniná mal'ba na Slovensku (The medieval book paintings in Slovakia). Bratislava Sopko, J.: Najstaršia kniná kultúra Bratislavy I, II (The oldest book culture of Bratislava). In: Kniha 76, Matica slovenská, s ; Kniha 85/86, s ŠÁtek, J.:Najstaršia bratislavská kninica (The oldest library of Bratislava). In: Z bratislavských kniníc. Bratislava 1950, s Names, qualifications and contact details of independent people or organizations with expert knowledge about the values and provenance of the documentary heritage: - PhDr. Marta Melníková, archivist, The Slovak National Archives, Drotárska 42, Bratislava, phone / , fax / PhDr. Július Sopko, historian, University of Trnava, Faculty of Humanistic Sciences, Department of History, Hornopotoèná 23, Trnava, phone / , fax / PhDr. L'ubomír Jankoviè, CSc., archivist, Slovak National Library, Novomestského 32, Martin, phone / , , fax / Management Plan Statement of significance: This set was proclaimed by the Slovak government in 1988 to be one of the national cultural monuments of the Slovak Republic. Access policy: Are based on the recommendations of the Technical Subcommittee of the International Advisory Committee for the UNESCO Programme "Memory of the World" elaborated in 1996 with the help of UNESCO at the National Library of the Czech Republic and Alertina ICOM Company Prague (A. Knoll and co-workers). Methodology of description of Antiphonarium Sedlecense (pilot project of digital edition "Memoria Mundi Series Bohemica I") has served as a pattern for our experts to process the Antiphonarium Bratislavense II, which would be the first output of the Slovak digital edition of codices - Memoria Slovaciae Medii Aevi Manuscripta. Preservation procedures: The Slovak National Archives is a state organization fully financed by the state. Its budget covers also all expenses for preventive preservation, e.g. control of optimal climatic conditions in the storage areas as well as conservation and restoration by the top ranking experts in this field. However, the budget does not cover the expenses for prevention and implementation of information about the most valuable monuments through digital images and modern media. The budget for digitization of the Antiphonarium Bratislavense II (900 pages) and production of CD ROM would represent approximately Slovak koruna, i.e. US $

4 Preservation facilities: The documents are kept in the purpose-built archival building with controlled parameters of temperature (18 2C) and relative humidity (50 5 %) of air. They are preserved from the influence of light as they are stored in protective covers. Special care is devoted to the documents by staff and users-scientists. Storage areas are protected by fire and security signalization. Department of Archives Preservation is one of the departments of the Slovak National Archives which is in charge of preventive preservation and conservation and restoration of documents. Methods and techniques used in the Archives are similar to the world tendencies used in this field. There are 13 workers in the Department, 3 of them university graduated. Among them there are 2 chemists, 7 conservators and restorers, 3 photographers and 1 worker in charge of the sterilization chamber. Preservation and protection of archival documents is one of the mains tasks of the Slovak National Archives. Assessment against the Selection Criteria Influence, Time and Place: The fate of Slovakia's documentary heritage has been shaped over the centuries by a number of political, cultural and social phenomena. The historical territory of Slovakia itself has been a permanent meeting ground of political interests and cultural influences from the whole of Europe. By their significance, artistic and historical value the Antiphonaries of Bratislava far exceed the borders of national culture as they contributed to the Middle European cultural-artistic influences in the second half of the 15th century. Subject/Theme; Form and Style: Illuminations in the Antiphonaries of Bratislava are the basic source to the knowledge of medieval book painting development in the region of Central Europe. Moreover, the Antiphonaries of Bratislava belong also to the important and significant musical monuments in the specified region. Social Value: As these antiphonaries were actively using during several centuries at liturgy the collection has also an extraordinary significance and relations to the religious and spiritual needs and influences in this region. Integrity: Illuminated codices from the Library of the Bratislava Chapter represent the most wide-ranging and comprehensive collection of the medieval manuscript book works in Slovakia. It can be therefore unambiguously stated that this documentary heritage exhibits an extraordinary degree of integrity and completeness. Authenticity: All codices selected were created in scriptorium of the Bratislava Chapter house by several illuminators and scribes; they belong to the most

5 significant and most representative monuments of the book culture in Bratislava and Central Europe. Consultation Representatives of the owner and custodian of the documents, experts and scientists from the field and the representatives of the Slovak Committee for UNESCO's "Memory of the World" Programme were consulted. Nominator The Slovak Committee for UNESCO's "Memory of the World" Programme in cooperation with the Slovak National Archives and the Slovak National Library/p> Relationship to documentary heritage: The owner and custodian of the documentary heritage in co-operation with the Slovak Committee for UNESCO's "Memory of the World" Programme Contact person: Ing. Jozef Hanus, CSc. Executive Chairman The Slovak Committee for UNESCO's "Memory of the World" Programme Slovak National Archives Drotárska Bratislava Slovakia Telephone / Fax / Assessment of Risk Environmental conditions: Good Physical conditions: Documents has been stored in the new purpose-built archival building with controlled climatic conditions in the storage areas. Preservation budget: The activity of the Slovak National Archives, including all activities in the field of preservation of holdings, have been fully financed through the state budget. Extent and nature of use: To provide maximum information on selected cultural monuments to a broad scientific and cultural society at home and abroad on modern media and at the same time to ensure their maximal protection and preservation; to present these monuments in the form of electronic publications on the basis of interdisciplinary scientific description. Preservation Assessment Present physical state: Good Current preservation policy in relation to proposed nominated documentary heritage: is based on the above mentioned Law on archives in

6 which preservation is defined as one of the main duties of the Archives; moreover the special care has been dedicated to the proposed collection as it was proclaimed by the Slovak government in 1988 to be one of the national cultural monuments. Organization responsible for preservation: The Slovak National Archives, Drotárska 42, Bratislava, Slovakia