Collections tells stories
News, interesting facts and stories from over 80 collection portals. We regularly report on them here.
April 2024 - Warnung vor Raubdruck!
Lizenzkampf im 17. Jahrhundert am Beispiel des 30jährigen Kalenders von Johann Heinrich Voigt aus dem Jahr 1674
Bis ins 20. Jahrhundert gab es in Deutschland kein Urheberrecht im heutigen Verständnis, dass das geistige Eigentum sowohl ideell als auch materiell schützt. Das deutsche Urheberrechtsgesetz selbst trat erst 1965 in Kraft.
Bei beliebten und damit lukrativen Texten kam es schon in den Anfängen des Buchdrucks zu unerlaubten Nachdrucken, sogenannten Raubdrucken. Drucker -später auch Verleger- erbaten sich daher von der Obrigkeit Sonderrechte, die das nicht autorisierte Nachdrucken und Vertreiben von Texten, z.T. zeitlich oder regional begrenzt, verbot. Dieses Sonderrecht nannte man Privileg. Der Obrigkeit bot sich damit im Gegenzug die Möglichkeit, Einfluss auf den Inhalt und die Verbreitung von Texten zu nehmen.
Johann Heinrich Voigt (1613-1691), Mathematiker, Astronom, Autor und Verleger versieht einen 30jährigen Kalender mit einer eindeutigen Warnung an Drucker: "Die unbefugten Bücher Nachdrucker werden vor Nachdruck und Schaden zum allersteiffigsten gewarnet."
Diese Warnung wird direkt unter dem „Lorbeerkranz“, den der Arzt und Medizinprofessor Johann Ludwig Hannemann (1640-1724) dem Autor für sein Werk verlieh, abgedruckt. Zusätzlich schrieb Voigt noch ins Impressum „In Verlegung des Authoris/bey welchem es auch zu bekommen“.
Sein Kalender war ein Versuch, den Julianischen Kalender mit dem Gregorianischen zu harmonisieren. Es handelt sich um eine erweiterte Ausgabe des bereits zwei Jahre zuvor in deutscher Sprache unter dem Titel "Calendrische An- und Vorschläge" erschienenen Werkes. Den neuen Kalender widmete Voigt Kaiser Leopold I. (1640-1705) und benannte ihn nach ihm. Vor seinem Tod hatte Voigt die Kalender bereits bis 1721 berechnet.
Das Kölner Wappen auf dem Einband verrät, dass dieses Buch einst in der Kölner Ratsbibliothek, der sog. Syndikatsbibliothek gestanden hat.
Voigt, Johann Heinrich: Ein und Dreyssig-Jährige Calender-Prob, Deß Zur Christlichen Zeit- und Fest-Vereinigung unmaßgeblich vorgeschlagenen Leopoldischen Reichs-Calenders, Vom Jahre 1670 biß ins Jahr 1700, Hamburg: Jn Verlegung des Authoris 1674, Signatur: KALE25-1674
November 2023 - Finds from the Cologne Jesuit Collection (Kopie 1)
A book inside a book - recycling parchment in the Jesuit collection
The books in the Jesuit Collection often have a history prior to their inclusion in the College. This past can be seen, for example, in ownership entries and annotations by previous owners, but sometimes also in the external appearance of the books.
One example is the small octavo volume with the shelfmark GBIV1659, whose binding comes from an old parchment manuscript that was reused in bookbinding.
This recycling practice often concerned missals, which quickly became obsolete due to liturgical reforms and offered a lot of high-quality parchment material. The parchment binding of this book was made from a missal, and the surviving text contains Gregorian chants and Bible verses. This volume came into the Jesuit library in 1672. Find out more on the portal
The books in the Jesuit Collection often have a history prior to their inclusion in the College. This past can be seen, for example, in ownership entries and annotations by previous owners, but sometimes also in the external appearance of the books.
One example is the small octavo volume with the shelfmark GBIV1659, whose binding comes from an old parchment manuscript that was reused in bookbinding.
This recycling practice often concerned missals, which quickly became obsolete due to liturgical reforms and offered a lot of high-quality parchment material. The parchment binding of this book was made from a missal, and the surviving text contains Gregorian chants and Bible verses. This volume came into the Jesuit library in 1672. Find out more on the portal Kölner Jesuitensammlung >>
November 2023 - Finds from the Cologne Jesuit Collection
A book inside a book - recycling parchment in the Jesuit collection
The books in the Jesuit Collection often have a history prior to their inclusion in the College. This past can be seen, for example, in ownership entries and annotations by previous owners, but sometimes also in the external appearance of the books.
One example is the small octavo volume with the shelfmark GBIV1659, whose binding comes from an old parchment manuscript that was reused in bookbinding.
This recycling practice often concerned missals, which quickly became obsolete due to liturgical reforms and offered a lot of high-quality parchment material. The parchment binding of this book was made from a missal, and the surviving text contains Gregorian chants and Bible verses. This volume came into the Jesuit library in 1672. Find out more on the portal
The books in the Jesuit Collection often have a history prior to their inclusion in the College. This past can be seen, for example, in ownership entries and annotations by previous owners, but sometimes also in the external appearance of the books.
One example is the small octavo volume with the shelfmark GBIV1659, whose binding comes from an old parchment manuscript that was reused in bookbinding.
This recycling practice often concerned missals, which quickly became obsolete due to liturgical reforms and offered a lot of high-quality parchment material. The parchment binding of this book was made from a missal, and the surviving text contains Gregorian chants and Bible verses. This volume came into the Jesuit library in 1672. Find out more on the portal Kölner Jesuitensammlung >>
Oktober 2023 - Festumzug zur Vollendung des Kölner Doms vor 143 Jahren
16 October 1880
What looks like a carnival procession here is a replica of the procession to mark the completion of Cologne Cathedral on the second day of the cathedral building festival in 1880, 16 October 1880 - exactly 143 years ago - in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm I (1797-1888).
Tony Avenarius captured the event in his publication "Historical procession, organised at the celebration of the completion of Cologne Cathedral on 16 October 1880". He used photographs of the procession as a model, after which he produced 29 colour lithographs. The prints were extremely detailed and accurately depicted the facial features of the participants. This was probably one of the reasons why the book was so popular with the participants in the procession.
In the same year, Gottfried Eckertz published an "Explanation" of the pageant. It describes the background, sequence and roles of the participants as well as the groups of gymnastics clubs, guilds and military troops.
In 2022, the Avenarius volume was restored as part of our book sponsorship programme "Cologne Book Treasures" thanks to the Sal. Oppenheim Foundation and is now a valuable contemporary testimony. It is part of our collection "The Old Cologne City Library" and has been digitised.
About the parade
Although the completion of Cologne Cathedral was celebrated, the Catholic Church largely stayed away from the festival due to conflicts with the emperor, so the citizens of Cologne took over the financing and organisation of the procession. The festival committee consisted of 24 committed citizens, supported by 6 representatives each from the City of Cologne and the Central Cathedral Building Association.
A total of around 1,000 people in historical costumes, 400 horses and 8 floats took part in the procession. The procession was divided into three sections, reflecting the different construction phases of the cathedral: From the laying of the foundation stone to the continued construction to the completion of the High Choir. It included prominent personalities among its main protagonists and even Johannes Fastenrath, whose library is now in our possession, was part of the festive committee and actively involved in the procession (see gallery pictures 2+3).
Further links:
- Tony Avenarius: Historischer Festzug, veranstaltet bei der Feier der Vollendung des Kölner Domes am 16. October 1880. Hamburg: Mühlmeister & Johler, ([1880]) Signatur: RHFOL648#2
- Eckertz, Gottfried: Zur Erklärung des Historischen Fest-Zuges veranstaltet zur Feier der Vollendung des Kölner Domes am 16. Oktober 1880. Köln: Adolf Wallraf 1880 Signatur: RHFOL472
- Book sponsorship programme "All of Cologne is still full of book treasures" - Die alte Kölner Stadtbibliothek >>
- "Bibliothek Johannes Fastenrath" >>
- "Die alte Kölner Stadtbibliothek" >>
23 July 2023 - 200 years ago, Ferdinand Franz Wallraf celebrated his 75th birthday
Cologne celebrated Wallraf's birthday on 20 July 1823
On his 75th birthday, his hometown honoured him with a public celebration and named him (the only one, by the way) "archcitizen of Cologne". This shows how highly regarded he was in Cologne, because the celebration was a kind of public festival. We possess a copy of the original programme of this "birthday celebration", which Johann Jakob Merlo (1810-1890) prepared for the city archivist Johann Peter Fuchs (1782-1857) on 4 January 1866. Johann Peter Fuchs arranged Wallraf's library after his death.
About the Ferdinand Franz Wallraf Collection >> About the Ferdinand Franz Wallraf Collection
"Wallraf's Book" book Sponsorship programm >> Wallraf's Books" book sponsorship programme
June 2023 - Incunabula finds in Cologne Jesuit collection are now being digitised!
Treasures of the Cologne Jesuit Library:
70 incunabula and 23 early printed books are now being digitised!
The Jesuit Library in Cologne houses an astonishing collection of incunabula, also known as cradle prints, from the 15th century, although the Jesuit Order itself was not founded until 1540. The Jesuits acquired these valuable prints either antiquarian or received them as generous donations. Our Jesuit team found 70 such incunabula and 23 early printed books from the early 16th century in the grammar school library and was able to verify them as holdings of the former Jesuit library in Cologne.
As part of the cataloguing project "Reconstruction of the Cologne Jesuit Library", these unique works were recently comprehensively catalogued and are now searchable in the portal "Jesuit Collection Cologne". We will now digitise these bibliophilic treasures in order to make them successively accessible online for our users. Soon you will be able to discover and view the incunabula of the Cologne Jesuit Library from the comfort of your own home! We will keep you up to date.
The grammar school library is on permanent loan from the Cologne Grammar School and Foundation Fund, on whose behalf we preserve, research and even expand this valuable collection. The project "Reconstruction of the Cologne Jesuit Library" is also made possible by the support of the Kölner Gymnasial- und Stiftungsfonds >>
To the Cologne Jesuit Collection >>
To the Grammar School Library >>
At the same time, the incunabula from Jesuit possession can also be researched in our Incunabula Collection >>.
Photo gallery: Missale Magdeburgense. Magdeburg: Moritz Brandis, 14.IV.1497. 2° Signature: GBIV5366
May 2023 - Cooperation with the Cologne Municipal Museum: "1794 Cologne Paris"
The Kölnisches Stadtmuseum is showing a brand new exhibition with free live events in its POP-UP-BAR: 1794 COLOGNE PARIS!
To get you in the mood, we have set up a small display case in our foyer. There you can see the original print of an announcement from 7 October 1794, the day after the French revolutionary armies stood at the gates of Cologne, Cologne capitulated and handed over the city keys. Cologne thus became French and remained so until 1814. A small document that gives you an insight into the Cologne of 1794.
All information on the exhibition at: POP-UP-BAR 1794 Cologne Paris
The broadsheet is part of our collection Rhenish Monographs >>