Scribal and textual networks – collaboration and exchange in manuscripts and scriptoria

The foundation of Heiligenkreuz by margrave Leopold III. in 1133 marked the beginning of the expansion of the Cistercian order in what is today Lower and Upper Austria and lead to a large surge in book production. When monks from Morimond settled in the Sattelbach valley close to Vienna they almost immediately must have started to copy books for their library. By the middle of the 12th century they had gathered a collection over 60 manuscripts, many of which are still extant today. In the same period Heiligenkreuz founded the two daughter houses Zwettl and Baumgartenberg. They too soon started producing books in their own scriptoria. These three closely connected monasteries therefore provide an almost perfect sample for investigating the exchange of scribes and texts in the 12th century.
For Heiligenkreuz and Zwettl Alois Haidinger has already gathered a large amount of paleographical data on his platform scriptoria.at. The website provides detailed information on scribes working on one manuscript, on ever

22-10-2020 10:55 - 11:25