Manuscripts

Collection The pieces in this section, though restricted in quantity, embrace 20 centuries of history, from antique papyri to modern literary autographs, over medieval books of Hours, manuscripts of humanists and Persian miniatures. The main collections consist of papyri, lecture notes of the old Leuven University, and the Cranevelt letters. In addition to the original pieces, the reader can consult on microfilm about 800 manuscripts from other collections. Catalogues Over 15000 catalogues of manuscripts in the corridor and in the open repository are put in a systematical-alphabetical order. - In the corridor begins the classification by country (UDC) with catalogues describing (Western) manuscript collections and/or manuscript production within one specific country (e.g. France). - The largest part of the catalogues are ranged alphabetically according to the name of the place where the manuscripts are preserved and/or were produced (e.g. Paris). - The open repository contains a large number of thematic catalogues (e.g. medical manuscripts) and research on all aspects of the study of manuscripts (e.g. script, illumination, iconography, ...) as well as catalogues of manuscripts per author, language (Greek, Eastern and Slavic languages) and important private collections. Auxiliary sciences In the study room Precious Works and Archives and in the open repository you can find works concerning the traditional historical auxiliary sciences relating to manuscripts: palaeography, chronology, metrology, diplomatic, sigillography, heraldry, genealogy, and codicology.