The „Manuscripta.pl” project was initiated in autumn 2016. From the beginning, the project comprised an important part of the research agenda of the L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, Polish Academy of Sciences. With time, the project engendered the collaboration of the Institute of Art, PASc, Institute for Literary Research, PASc, and the Wrocław University Library. During the years 2017–2023, the activities of our Team were supported by a generous grant from the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities (Grant No. 11H 16 0084 84). Thanks to these funds our Team members were able to visit all the archives in Poland, which hold medieval manuscripts, and in 2022 launch the developed version of the website “Manuscritpa.pl: A guide to medieval manuscripts in Polish collections”. This new website finally provides professional scholars with a fully fledged database that integrates codicological data concerning medieval manuscripts, relevant repositories, bibliographic information, and links to scans of manuscripts available on digital libraries. The website also offers over-all information on medieval manuscripts as well as presentations of selected items of curiosity to the persons who are not professional historians, but are interested in cultural heritage.
The data in question could not be provided without the registration of all manuscript books kept in Polish collections that came into existence prior to ca. 1530. Under the term “manuscript books” we understand the handwritten forerunner of the modern printed book. Chancellery registers, judicial records etc., however important, are a separate subject, and hopefully will be treated by another project. The appearance of the moveable type did not immediately put an end to the handwritten book. In fact, the process of overshadowing it by its more modern printed version took considerable time; in some countries even several centuries. Research demonstrated that on Polish territories the changes brought about by the domination of the printed book stabilized in the appearance, production, and functions of the manuscript book only during the second quarter of the 16th century. Afterwards, the manuscript book was still present, but was a marginal phenomenon, and no longer resembled so closely its medieval predecessor. Yet, the boundary date of 1530 is only conventional. The user of our website will notice that sometimes it is transgressed.
Already planning “Manuscripta.pl”, we decided that all manifestations of the Polish medieval manuscript book must be considered. Hence, even if the majority of the records gathered during the first phase of the project consist of information concerning codices kept in Polish repositories, we foresaw three other pillars of the project: fragments, polonica, and data on the manuscripts lost.
Part two of our project attempts to gather the corpus of information relevant to books that no longer exist as entities. Hence, we are searching for fragments, i.e. loose quires and leaves, manuscript quires sewn together with printed matter, cut-outs with decorated initials or illuminations removed from manuscripts by collectors, as well as paper and parchment waste utilized in bindings. One finds parchment fragments even in old musical instruments, used by their makers to seal-off resonating chambers. Hence, paper and parchment fragments are not uncommon. Until not so long ago, medieval fragments in early modern bindings were generally dismissed as not worthy of interest. They would be removed and sometimes simply thrown away. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. All remnants of historical books, notwithstanding their size or state of preservation, are now carefully looked after. And rightly so, because their potential is only starting to reveal itself. Already during the researches conducted by our Team, identifying fragments led to some important discoveries (e.g. see blog: Mysteries in bindings).
Part three of the project consists in registration of manuscript books of Polish provenance kept in repositories outside Poland. Part four aims at collecting archival information and information quoted in secondary literature concerning lost manuscripts, i.e. book which were physically destroyed or disappeared and were not found till this very day.
The turbulent history of Polish library collections dictated a specific action-plan for our project. The plunder and mishandling which were often the case during the 18th and 19th centuries, in the 20th century were complemented by unprecedented destruction during World War 2, and disorder and lack of professionalism on the part of the authorities directly afterwards. Later on, although the Communist decision-makers had little doubt as to the fact that medieval books were extremely valuable both as artifacts as well as primary sources for studying the history of intellectual culture, the religious content of the majority of the manuscripts was difficult for them to palate. Thus, priority was never given to studying medieval books; such studies were tolerated, but not brought to the forefront. And so, until recently, although very important publications appeared (cf. the printed catalogue of the Jagellonian Library in Cracow) we didn’t even know how many medieval manuscript books were preserved in Polish collections, and in which repositories they were kept. Even, if today the situation in Poland has substantially changed, one simply cannot fail to notice the fate of historical collections in Ukraine; the dramatical events that unfold right before our eyes, and make us remember what happened to Polish collections not so long ago. Hence, the “Manuscripta.pl” project, which began as a private idea of a handful of medievalists from Warsaw, who found a home for their project at the Institute for the History of Science, PASc, and financial support from the Polish Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all of a sudden has acquired very high significance for the preservation of the Polish cultural heritage.
The first phase of the project, scheduled for the years 2017–2023, consisted in registering all the manuscript materials in the repositories, developing a database, feeding the data into the database, and publishing it on the internet. For this purpose a special shortened list of codicological characteristics was procured, encompassing: call number, dating, support, language, number of folios, and dimensions of a single leaf. With the intention of clearing all possible confusion in the literature, we have introduced the MSPL numbers. Medieval manuscripts seldom are referred to by author and title. The most important ones have a customary name like the Tyniec Sacramentary (Sakramentarz Tyniecki) or the Golden Codex of Gniezno (Złoty Kodeks Gnieźnieński). But, a rank and file manuscript is identified by the name of the repository that holds its, followed by the call number. Because of the aforementioned violent history of our collections, many medieval manuscripts frequently changed their possessors. Also institutions housing them would undergo internal reorganisations resulting in renaming individual manuscripts. Little wonder then that the same manuscript can be found in inventories, books, and articles under different call numbers. For instance, after World War 2, due to the prolonged process of recovering manuscripts (still far from completion) and the changes in the organisation of the holdings, the Płock Seminary Library codices have received no less than four call number systems. In such cases, without the MSPL numbers, the reader is at a loss. Moreover, the procedure of assigning MSPL numbers requires personal inspection of the manuscript by one of our Team members. This rule is strictly observed. Hence, the Manuscripta.pl user can be sure that the manuscripts which already have MSPL numbers, underwent such a procedure, and that the data in the database comes from autopsy not secondary literature.
The first phase of our project has successfully been completed. We have a database and we know how many manuscript books are available in Polish collections, and where they are kept. The number of scans in digital libraries is constantly growing, and we are constantly updating the links. The number of bibliographical entries concerning manuscripts in Polish and foreign repositories (Polonica) is also steadily rising. Similarly, research in archival materials concerning lost manuscripts, is yielding more and more results. The second phase of the project, which has already begun, will concentrate on two priorities. Primarily, the descriptions of individual manuscripts, needs to be ameliorated. The time has finally come, to take a more detailed look at the contents of the manuscripts. Apart from that, we are continuing the registration and description of fragments. This task is still far from complete, but it is hampered by the nature of the fragments themselves. The loose fragments, that are in the repositories and treated as separate or collective historical items, have already been registered. It is the ones that are still hidden in the bindings, that need to be brought to light and registered. But, this means that each incunable and printed book until 1800 needs to be taken in hand and individually inspected. And the number of pre-1800 books in Polish collections is conservatively estimated at well over a million! Thus, the task of unveiling all the fragments hidden in their bindings will go on for a very long time. But, at the same time, it is also quite satisfying to know that there is still so much to be discovered.
The Manuscripta.pl team includes the following scholars:
Dr Irina Chachulska, Institute of Art, PASc, Warsaw
Dr Agnieszka Fabiańska, University of Warsaw Library
Prof. Dr Jerzy Kaliszuk, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, PASc, Warsaw
Dr Mateusz Marszałkowski, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, PASc, Warsaw
Ms Karolina Piszczałka, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, PASc, Warsaw
Dr Paulina Pludra-Żuk, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, PASc, Warsaw
Prof. Dr Jacek Soszyński, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, PASc, Warsaw — Project Director
Mr Sławomir Szyller, Warsaw
Manuscripta.pl collaborators:
Rev Dr Wojciech Baran, Archives and Library of the Cracow Cathedral Chapter, Kraków
Dr Agnieszka Borysowska, Pomeranian Library in Szczecin
Dr Michał Broda, University Library, Wrocław
Dr Ewa Chlebus, Centre for Medieval Studies, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Mr Michal Dragoun, MA, Praha
Rev Dr Tomasz Garwoliński, Library of the “Hosianum” Warmia Archdiocese Seminary and of the Theological Faculty of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Dr Dominika Grabiec, Institute of Art, PASc, Warsaw
Mr Jan Hieronymus, Berlin (information technology)
Ms Izabela Klawińska, The Copernican Public Library in Toruń
Ms Małgorzata Klepczyńska, W. Bełza Library in Bydgoszcz
Prof. Dr Brian Krostenko, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
Mr Łukasz Krzyszczuk, University Library, Wrocław
Dr Jakub Kujawiński, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Dr Michał Kulecki, Central Archives of Historical Records, Warsaw
Dr Agata Larczyńska, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdańsk Library
Prof. Dr Mieczysław Mejor, Institute of Literary Research, PASc, Warsaw
Dr Wojciech Michalski, H. Łopaciński Public Library in Lublin
Dr Piruz Mnatsakanyan, Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Yerevan
† Dr Angelika Modlińska-Piekarz, Library of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
S. Elżbieta Oszajca, Library of the Metropolitan Seminary in Lublin
Dr Adam Poznański, University Library, Wrocław
Dr Hanna Rajfura, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw
Dr Josefina Rodríguez-Arribas, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, PASc, Warsaw
Rev Dr Michał Sołomieniuk, Archdiocesan Archives in Gniezno
Dr Alicja Szulc, University Library in Poznań
Dr Ryszard Tatarzyński, Kraków
Dr Jan Paweł Woronczak, University Library, Wrocław
Ms Krystyna Wyszomirska, The Copernican Public Library in Toruń