Precious facsimile for the Special Collections

The Special Collections have gained another fine reproduction. During a library workshop in late 2023, a facsimile of the Codex Manesse was presented by the German firm Ziereis.

De overhandiging van een facsimile van de Codex Manesse in de kaartenzaal van de Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht
Handing over of the facsimile of the Codex Manesse

The original - dating from the period 1310-1340 - is housed in the Heidelberg University Library and is a culmination of German literature, medieval history and Gothic colouring. The faithful reproduction is a gift from a private individual, who considered the Utrecht University Library the most appropriate home for the book.

Workshop

In the workshop, Ziereis demonstrated the importance of facsimiles. The production of these facsimiles - an often laborious process of paper and colour choices, comparison of many proofs and manual bookbinding - was also discussed in detail. The workshop ended with a viewing of a fine display of various facsimiles in the Map Room. Want to learn more?  Ziereis published an informative blog post about the workshop.