Blog

The Museum of West Bohemia in Pilsen digitised illuminated manuscript fragments and early printed books in 2014. Most fragments come from a sheet-music liturgical codex and comprise small cut-out initials; other fragments come from the period between the 15th century and 1745. The early printed books were made in Germany (Wittenberg, Leipzig) and Switzerland (Basel) in 1504–1517.

The Music Department of the National Library of the Czech Republic has recently made 40 manuscripts accessible. They are (exceptionally autographic) scores mostly from the second half of the 18th century and from the first half of the 19th century. The authors of the individual works include i.a. Josef Mysliveček, František Xaver Brixi, Jakub Jan Ryba, Vincenc Mašek, Leopold Koželuh, Jiří Ignác Linka and Jan Křtitel Vaňhal.

Four manuscripts of the Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians at Strahov have been digitised. The earliest of them is a collection of the works of St John Cassian, written in the monastery of Hradisko near Olomouc in the 1130s–40s (DA III 25). The collection DA IV 42 comes from the library of the monastery in Weissenau. The Bible DA IV 22 was made in the Czech lands. Salzburg seems to be the place of origin of the catalogue of the local bishops and archbishops (DA II 28) created after 1615, which is complemented by their coats of arms.