Documents: 232, displayed: 1 - 20

Bern, Burgerbibliothek

The Burgerbibliothek Bern is a cultural institute of the Burgergemeinde Berne, a Civic Community. The Burgerbibliothek in its current state was established in 1951 when the town and university library was transformed into a foundation. Today the Burgerbibliothek is open to the public. Its scientific archives hold and preserve numerous important and internationally renowned manuscripts, records and photographic files. Among the best known collections are those of the medieval manuscripts, the Bongarsiana-Codices, documents concerning Swiss and Bernese history as well as bequests of important people such as Albrecht von Haller or Jeremias Gotthelf. The Burgerbibliothek also acts in an archival capacity for the Burgergemeinde (Civic Community), the guilds and the Burger’s societies. As a scientific institute, the Burgerbibliothek is of service to researchers and is also open to the interested public. Its collection is accessible in a beautiful reading room and conveyed through publications, guided tours and exhibitions.

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 3
Parchment · 209 ff. · 46 x 35 cm · Tours, Abbey St. Martin · around 820-830
Biblia latina (Vulgata), Part 1: Genesis to Psalms

Latin Bible, designed as a pandect (i.e. in one volume), following the recension of Alcuin of York. Several copies of these Alcuin Bibles, manufactured in the scriptorium of St. Martin of Tours, have survived; with their finely graded hierarchy of scripts and harmonious proportions, they are considered monuments of Carolingian book production. (mit)

Online Since: 10/07/2013

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 4
Parchment · 155 ff. · 46-46.5 x 35.5-36 cm · Tours, Abbey St. Martin · around 820-830
Biblia latina (Vulgata), Part 2: Solomon to Apocalypse (incomplete)

Latin Bible, designed as a pandect (i.e. in one volume), following the recension of Alcuin of York. Several copies of these Alcuin Bibles, manufactured in the scriptorium of St. Martin of Tours, have survived; with their finely graded hierarchy of scripts and harmonious proportions, they are considered monuments of Carolingian book production. (mit)

Online Since: 10/07/2013

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 9
Parchment · 24 ff. · 42 x 34.5 cm · central- or southern France · beginning of the 11th century
Hrabanus Maurus, Liber de Laudibus Sanctae Crucis

The Liber de laudibus Sanctae Crucis (Veneration of the Holy Cross) consists of Carmina figurata by Abbot Hrabanus Maurus of Fulda. This exemplar, most likely produced in 831, is arranged to display an image portraying each episode on the left (23 of the 28 Figures are included), with the corresponding prose portrayal on the right. The second portion, also a prose text, is missing. (mit)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 27
Parchment · 331 ff. · 38.5 x 26.5 cm · France (Southern France?) · second half of the 13th century
Bible du XIIIème siècle (Part 1: Genesis – Psalms)

This Old French Bible du XIIIème siècle was compiled in Paris in the second half of the 13th century. The two parts (Cod. 27/28), kept in the Bugerbibliothek of Bern, are among the oldest surviving copies; independent of one another, they probably originated in Southern France. Cod. 27 is partially glossed; at one time it contained 31 superb miniatures, of which today twenty have been lost. (mit)

Online Since: 10/07/2013

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 28
Parchment · 356 ff. · 35 x 25.5 cm · France · second half of the 13th century
Bible du XIIIème siècle (Part 2: Proverbs – Apocalypse)

This Old French Bible du XIIIème siècle was compiled in Paris in the second half of the 13th century. The two parts (Cod. 27/28), kept in the Bugerbibliothek of Bern, are among the oldest surviving copies; independent of one another, they probably originated in Southern France. Cod. 28, whose traces of use point towards Valencia, at one time it contained 52 superb miniatures, of which today six have been lost. (mit)

Online Since: 10/07/2013

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 45
Parchment · I + 60 ff. · 36–36.5 x 25.5 cm · 2nd third of the 9th century
Lucanus: De bello civili; Dracontius: Orestes; Hyginus: De astronomia; Figurae Graecorum

This manuscript was created in Fleury; the first page is magnificently decorated with two large interlace initials, which represent a special type of insular decorative art. In addition to smaller pieces, this composite manuscript contains the epic poem De bello civili (Parsalia) by Lucan (middle of the 1st century) as well as a version of the Orestes myth by the African poet Dracontius (5th century). For the latter, this codex constitutes by far the oldest textual witness. The beginning of Lucan's text by is provided with an abundance of scholia; because of Cod. 370, which contains only scholia, they are known as the Commenta Bernensia. (mit)

Online Since: 03/29/2019

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 85
Parchment · 147 ff. · 27–27.5 x 18 cm · Brittany · second half of the 9th century
Biblia Latina (Vulgata): Evangelia

Manuscript from Brittany with the texts of the four Gospels, as well as the prologues and the chapter indexes for Mark, Luke and John. The artistic decoration comprises the 12 pages of the canon tables, the pictures of the evangelists dressed in priestly vestments, as well as initials at the beginning of each chapter and each Gospel. The rich interlace ornamentation suggests insular influences. (mit)

Online Since: 09/23/2014

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 87
Parchment · 18 ff. · 35.5–37 x 28.5 cm · Luxeuil · 1004
(Pseudo-)Boethius: Geometria; Excerpta Agrimensorum Romanorum

This manuscript from Luxeuil contains the Geometry falsely attributed to Boethius, as well as geometric and gromatic excerpts from Cassiodorus, Isidore and the agrimensores. It probably formed a codex together with the Aratea (Cod. 88) and was given to the Strasbourg Cathedral by Bishop Werner I. (mit)

Online Since: 09/23/2014

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 88
Parchment · 11 ff. · 37 x 28.5 cm · St. Bertin · beginning of the 11th century
Aratus – Germanicus: Phaenomena

The Aratea, translated into Latin by Germanicus, describe the 48 ancient constellations and the myths concerning their origins. They are among the most popular picture cycles of medieval monastery schools. The Bernese codex, produced in St. Bertin, is a descendant of the Leiden Aratea and contains scholia which have survived only in this codex. (mit)

Online Since: 09/23/2014

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 113
Parchment · 2 + 291 ff. · 34.5-35 x 24.5-25 cm · Northeastern France · end of the 13th century
Composite Manuscript: Garin le Loherain, Perceval, Chroniques, Parthenopeus de Blois, Durmart le Gaulois etc., French

This composite manuscript contains a total of 21 texts of Old French literature; in part these are unique records that survive only in this manuscript. The major part consists of romances from the great saga cycles such as the Garin le Loherain, Perceval, etc., which often comprise several thousand verses; the manuscript also contains several prose chronicles such as Ernoul’s history of the crusades and other smaller pieces of varied content. The manuscript is richly illustrated with several hundred large initials; it probably originated in Picardy. (mit)

Online Since: 10/08/2015

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 120.I
Parchment · 93 ff. · 34.5 x 21 cm · ca. 1039 – ca. 1056
Composite manuscript: Ado Viennensis: Chronicon; Aurelius Victor (Pseudo-): Epitome de Caesaribus; Abbo Floriacensis: De gestis Romanorum pontificum, lat.

This composite manuscript contains various texts in chronicle form, some of them rare, regarding worldly and ecclesiastical rulers. It is a heavily edited and corrected manuscript from the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Mesmin de Micy, which contains characteristic writings in various black and brown inks and which is richly decorated with many calligraphic initials in different styles. Based on various supplements, the time of its writing can be dated quite exactly to the middle of the 11th century. (mit)

Online Since: 03/22/2018

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 120.II
Parchment · 55 ff. · 34.5 x 21 cm · ca. 1195 – ca. 1197
Petrus de Ebulo: Liber ad honorem Augusti, lat.

The so-called Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli is one of the most famous and most requested manuscripts in the Burgerbibliothek Bern. The manuscript is exceptionally richly illustrated; it is from a workshop in the circle of the imperial court in southern Italy. Neither the scribe nor the illustrator is known, but, the text was doubtlessly corrected by the author himself. The text, an epic poem in Latin in about 1700 distichs that has survived only in this manuscript, is divided into three books. The first two books describe the prehistory of Sicily and its conquest by the Staufers; the third book contains a poem in praise of the parents — Emperor Henry VI and his wife Constance, daughter and heir of King Roger II of Sicily — of the famous Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II, who was born on 26 December 1194 in Jesi near Ancona. (mit)

Online Since: 03/22/2018

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 125
Parchment · 287 ff. · 32.5 x 23.5 cm · first half of the 15th century
Marco Polo: Devisement du monde; Jean de Mandeville: Voyages; Jean le Long d'Ypres: Récits de voyages

Composite manuscript consisting of three parts, bringing together French translations of classic reports of voyages to the Far East. The manuscript, especially its first and third parts, is richly adorned with gold decoration and delicate scroll ornamentation in the margins, yet it contains no illustrations. Hand-painted coats of arms make it possible to identify the family de Pons de Saint-Maurice from the Périgord as a previous owner; later the codex was purchased by Jacques Bongars, who, towards the end of his life, was preparing a volume of source materials about travels to Asia. (mit)

Online Since: 10/13/2016

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 162
Parchment · 104 ff. · 31.5 x 22 cm · France, Normandy, Saint-Trinité de Fécamp · middle of the 11th century
Augustinus: Opera

This manuscript, which originated in the Benedictine Abbey St. Trinité de Fécamp, contains various works by Augustine: De opere monachorum; De fide et operibus; Contra Donatistas; De bono virginitatis; De bono conjugali; De bono viduitatis; De symbolo bono (sermo 215); De oratione dominica (sermo 56). The manuscript is significant as important testimony of French manuscript illumination of the 11th century as well as, due to its history, of the exchange of manuscripts among Norman monasteries. (mit)

Online Since: 04/09/2014

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 165
Parchment · 219 ff. · 32.5 x 24.5 cm · France: Tours, Abbey of Saint-Martin OSB · second quarter of the 9th century
Vergilius: Bucolica, Georgica, Aeneis / Scholia Turonensia

This magnificent complete edition of the works of Virgil (Bucolics, Georgics, Aeneid) was given to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Martin in Tours by the Levite Berno (note and book curse on f. 1v). Virgil’s text is interspersed with numerous commentaries (scholia) from late antiquity by Servius and Donatus, which have been transmitted in this form almost exclusively in manuscripts from the Bongarsiana collection. However, Cod. 165 does not present the true Scholia Bernensia as in Cod. 167 und Cod. 172, but rather a collection by various scholiasts which was compiled in Tours — hence the name Scholia Turonensia. (mit)

Online Since: 12/17/2015

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 167
Parchment · 214 ff. · 32 x 23-23.5 cm · France: Auxerre or Brittany · second half of the 9th century
Vergilius: Bucolica, Georgica, Aeneis / Scholia Bernensia

This complete edition of the works of Virgil (Bucolics, Georgics, Aeneid) is connected to Auxerre. In the beginning the manuscript contains numerous paratexts to Virgil, such as the vitae, Argumenta, etc.; beginning on f. 6v, the inner column is reserved for the text, the outer one for the scholia. Virgil’s text is interspersed with numerous commentaries (scholia) from late antiquity by Servius and Donatus, which in this form have been transmitted almost exclusively in manuscripts from the Bongarsiana collection. Cod. 167 presents the true Scholia Bernensia, but only the left column, not the right column of Cod. 172; whether it was copied from the latter remains in dispute. (mit)

Online Since: 12/17/2015

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 172
Parchment · 151 ff. · 31-31.5 x 27.5-28 cm · France: Fleury. vicinity of Paris (Saint-Denis?) (Bischoff) · second quarter of the 9th century
Vergilius: Bucolica, Georgica, Aeneis / Scholia Bernensia

This complete edition of the works of Virgil is from Fleury. This manuscript contains only the Bucolics, the Georgics and the first five books of the Aeneid; the second part with books VI to XII is now in Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale, lat. 7929). In the beginning the manuscript contains the so-called Vita Donatiana and various slightly later texts. It is made with great calligraphic care so that the central column is always bordered on the right and on the left by a column of scholia. Cod. 172 is the principal textual witness of the scholia (commentaries) by Servius and Donatus, which have been transmitted in this form almost exclusively in manuscripts from the Bongarsiana collection. (mit)

Online Since: 12/17/2015

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 199
Parchment · 140 ff. · 28-29.5 x 23-24.5 cm · France · 8th century, 9th century and 9th-10th century
Gregorius Turonensis: Libri octo miraculorum; in addition: Evangelium Johannis (Fragmentum); Hieronymus: Vita sancti Pauli Thebaei

This manuscript contains the complete hagiographic works of Gregory of Tours, consisting of eight books of hagiographies. The manuscript is very close to Gregory’s autograph (class 1a); it originated in the circles of the Reims scriptorium in the 9th century. Two pages of a Gospel of John in Merovingian script as well as a Vita of Paul of Thebes were bound into the volume. (mit)

Online Since: 04/09/2014

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 200
Parchment · VII + 258 + XIII ff. · 30 x 22 cm · Ashkenaz · 1290
Lexicographical and scientific miscellany

This medieval Hebrew lexicographical and scientific miscellany dates back to 1290 and encloses three highly important texts, used as the base for published editions and studies. These are: the Maḥberet Menahem by Menahem ben Jacob Ibn Saruq (died c. 970); an anonymous Hebrew prose translation of the very popular Old French version of the lapidary by Marbode of Rennes (12th c.) and lastly, an anonymous abridged version of the talmudic and midrashic lexicon entitled Sefer ha-Arukh by Natan ben Yehiel Anav of Rome (1035-1110), called the Berner Kleiner Arukh. The particularity of this copy is the presence of Old West Yiddish and Old French glosses. Furthermore, among the numerous later notes, there are more significant additions which abound in the blank pages and margins of the manuscript, the most unusual of which is a charm in Middle High German in Hebrew characters, relative to Hulda, a German goddess comparable to Venus, taken from the Tannhäuserlied. Moreover, this manuscript belonged to several famous Jewish and Christians owners, whose scriptural witness testifies to the manuscript’s remarkable stature as a treasured source of knowledge from the time it was compiled at the end of the 13th century, to its possession by Christian Hebraists in Switzerland during the 16th and 17th centuries. (iss)

Online Since: 12/12/2019

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 207
Parchment · 197 ff. · 29.5-30 x 17-17.5 cm · Fleury (?) · end of 8th / beginning of 9th century
Corpus Grammaticorum Latinorum

Cod. 207, presumably created in Fleury (St. Benoît-sur-Loire), is one of the few and by far the richest representative of a style that evolved in Fleury towards the end of the 8th century; with its extremely rich and high-quality artistic decoration, consisting of three ornamental pages and almost 140 initials, it is an outstanding example of the creative evolution that the insular language of forms underwent in the important cultural centers of the continent. The manuscript, consisting of 197 leaves in Bern as well as 24 leaves in Paris (BNF, lat. 7520), is the oldest grammar manuscript from Fleury; it contains an early medieval corpus of Roman grammarians from antiquity and from the early medieval period: Bede, Donatus, Maximus Victorinus, Julianus Toletanus, Servius Honoratus, Asper minor, Sergius, Petrus Pisanus, Isidore, as well as numerous other anonymous treatises and excerpts. (mit)

Online Since: 10/13/2016

Documents: 232, displayed: 1 - 20