Manuscripts Collection
Manuscripts Collection
In the Manuscripts Collection, the National Library holds fully preserved medieval manuscripts (dating from the 7th century to 1638), partially preserved medieval manuscripts, and medieval manuscripts that were written to accompany printed books. There are also about some 600 manuscript call numbers from the second half of the 17th to the late 20th centuries. The documents in the collection may only be viewed in the Rare Books Reading Room, upon written request.
Documents in the spotlight
Our staff members have written thematic studies on various documents from our collections.
Documents in the spotlight
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A Text Uncovered
The Giant Bible of Saint MaximinThe Giant Bible recently acquired by the National Library is an extraordinary artifact. Its monumental size alone – it weighs about 25 kilograms –, combined with amendments written over several centuries, makes it a unique piece.
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A Journey of a Thousand Years
The Giant Bible of Saint MaximinIt is very rare for a manuscript to return to its ʽbirth-placeʼ, as it were, nearly a millennium after its confection; and it is even rarer that its whereabouts over such a long period of time can be traced almost year by year.
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The Echternach scriptorium
The Giant Bible of Saint Maximin represents a high point in the scriptorial culture of the Echternach school, whose influence extended far beyond the cloister walls.
News
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The BnL makes available online two manuscripts bearing witness to the history of Luxembourg
As part of its programme to digitise Luxembourg’s written heritage, the National Library is making available online two millennial manuscripts of exceptional historical value: the Codex Mariendalensis and the Giant Bible of Saint Maximin.
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The National Library launches a crowdfunding campaign
Help the BnL save a thousand-year-old medieval manuscript for future generations.
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BnL publishes manuscript transcribed with AI technology for the first time
While the BnL generally carries out text recognition for printed materials such as journals and books, this is far more complex for handwritten works and is therefore not common practice.
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