In 1724, the newly elected Abbot Eugen Schmid arranged for the establishment of the Waldsassen Abbey Library, whose charming interior attracts thousands of tourists every year. To mark the occasion, the research volume “Die Stiftsbibliothek in Waldsassen. Studies on history, holdings and reception”.

On October 17, the editor Georg Schrott and one of the co-authors, Christian Malzer, gave some insights into the main results of the study at a book presentation in the Kunsthaus Waldsassen.

They emphasized that the Waldsassen library is a dual phenomenon, which is usually perceived one-dimensionally: as a baroque hall. However, if one understands “library” as a collection of books, one is referred to the provincial library in Amberg, to which the book collection was transferred after secularization.

The eight contributions to the anthology not only raised new questions about the expressive intention of the artistic decoration, but also developed new theses on the prehistory of the hall. The baroque library catalog and the surviving books were examined under various aspects. A further section deals with the perception of the library in art history and the resonance it has triggered in text and image media since its existence.

The volume is available in bookshops and from LIT-Verlag. It costs €49.90 in the print edition and €44.90 as an eBook download.

 

Photos: Ferdinand Sperber; screenshots of the presentation: Georg Schrott/Christian Malzer