Digitization of medieval manuscripts of the "Bibliothek des Geistlichen Ministeriums" (parish St. Nikolai) and the University Library of Greifswald
Final Report Abstract
In a joint DFG project, the manuscripts of the Spiritual Ministry Library, the University Library Greifswald and the Greifswald University Archives were indexed for the manuscript database Manuscripta Mediaevalia in the years 2001-2006. Some of these manuscripts have since been restored and digitised through smaller projects. The digitisation was carried out at the Digitisation Centre of the Greifswald University Library. The manuscripts of the ecclesiastical ministry come exclusively from three large local collections, above all the desk libraries of the Franciscans and Dominicans established at the end of the 15th century and the church library at St. Marien. Connections between these libraries and the university, founded in 1456, can be proven in some volumes. The university's holdings were lost during the Reformation. It was not until the establishment of a central university library around 1604 that selective acquisitions through donations and purchases began. In this context, the purchase of the historical church library of St. Petri in Wolgast in 1829/30 should be emphasised. This collection contained manuscripts from the surrounding monasteries, which had been dissolved in Pomerania during the Reformation. The entire manuscript collection of the library of the ecclesiastical ministry as well as the University Library was once again examined by the restorer of the Greifswald University Library. The results of the pilot phase for the digitisation of medieval manuscripts and the planning aids for applicants were consulted. The state of preservation of each volume as well as the respective material-specific characteristics led to a classification of the holdings into four effort groups. Using the results of the pilot phase enabled the creation of precise workflows and a well-founded effort analysis of the overall project. Since the manuscripts have already been described by a proven manuscript expert and are digitally recorded in the Manuscripta Mediaevalia, the indexing effort for this digitisation project was comparatively low. The digitisation itself was carried out by experienced student assistants and trained permanent staff under the supervision of the restorer at Greifswald University Library.
