Historical book restoration: Speyer preserves valuable legacy!

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Two historical school books from Speyer have been restored, their importance and history illuminate the rich library culture of the city.
Two historical school books from Speyer have been restored, their importance and history illuminate the rich library culture of the city. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

On January 31, 2025, the high school at Kaiserdom in Speyer made significant progress in the preservation of its valuable book. Two books from the historical library have been successfully restored, which represents an important contribution to the preservation of the city's cultural heritage. The restoration was necessary because many works were significantly damaged by war times, improper storage and inadequate care.

The first restored band, CD 122, comprises two works printed in Lyon in the 16th century. These are a collection of proverbs and excerpts of famous Latin poets. The second volume, CD 128, is a textbook for rhetoric, the content of which is based on the teachings of Daniel Georg Morhof (1639-1691), one of the founders of modern literary studies.

The historical library and its importance

The historical library of the high school has a fascinating story. After the destruction of the city of Speyer in the Palatinate War of Succession in 1689, the book stocks from the 18th century were collected again. In 1816 there was a union of the high school library with the library of the Speyer cathedral chapter and the city library by the Bavarian government. This collection is of great historical value for the city of Speyer and is now in the State Library Center in Rhineland-Palatinate and in the Palatinate State Library of Speyer.

The library not only has a variety of works from the 16th to 19th centuries to offer, but also a particularly large number of titles in German, Latin and Greek. An overview of the stocks shows that it includes approx. 10,360 titles, including 4.2 % from the 16th century.

extensive restoration work

Extensive work was required when restoring the books. Damage such as dissolved lids and mouse or worm feed required thorough dry cleaning and restoring the connection between the book block and lids. In order for the volumes to be secured in the long term, custom -made, acid -free cassettes were made. The costs for the restoration amounted to around 2000 euros, with half of it borne by the foundation of the former district and city society Speyer.

The importance of this restoration work is not only visible in the preservation of the books itself, but also in the possibility presented for future generations to use the cultural treasures of the library. In particular, high school education in Speyer benefits from this valuable legacy. The location of the high school in Große Pfaffengasse 6 is a contact point for students and interested parties who want to access the historical works.

In summary, the restoration of the books is both a step to preserve history and literature as well as a sign of the commitment of the city of Speyer, to protect its rich cultural heritage.

For more information about the library and its stocks, interested parties can contact the Palatinate State Library at (06232) 9192-0

For a deeper overview of the history of the library, which ranges from the first collections in ancient Egypt to modern digital libraries, Wikipedia offers extensive information about the course and developments of the libraries over the centuries. Wikipedia describes the library history in detail.

The Rheinpfalz reports on the restoration and its historical context in Speyer . Furthermore, the online tract lexicon of Sub Göttingen provides details about the library of the high school on Kaiserdom. Fabian provides comprehensive information on the focus of the collection and historical aspects.

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