This collection of works was produced during the third quart of the 15th century, under the influence of early humanism, in one of the southwestern German states. It contains German and Latin texts from the late middle ages as well as some interlinear and marginal glosses. The newer works by humanist authors include contributions by Petrarch, Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (later Pope Pius II), Hieronymus de Vallibus and Antonio Barzizza.
Online Since: 11/04/2010
Heinrich Schlüsselfelder's work, Blumen der Tugend, a collection of brief instructive tales, is derived from an Italian model. The author, originally from Nürnberg, translated them into German in 1468 in Italy. The paper is of Italian manufacture; the Lombard initials, the binding stamp and what remains of the fasteners are all of Italian design. For illustrations Schlüsselfelder used early Italian copperplate engravings portraying the cardinal virtues and a unicorn; slightly later he, or a reader, illustrated the text with color-washed pen sketches in the margins.
Online Since: 11/04/2010
This 6,5 meter long parchment scroll depicts the history of the world, from Adam and Eve up to Christ, as a “Heilsgeschichte” (history of salvation); central events are illustrated with multicolored pen and ink drawings. Representing later epochs up to the middle of the 14th century, tables list the popes up to Innocent IV (elected in 1352) as well as the kings and emperors up to Charles IV.
Online Since: 12/17/2015
The impulse for writing the original model of this text, Vadian's “Kleinere Chronik der Äbte” (1544-46) (VadSlg Ms. 44), came from Heinrich Bullinger and Johannes Stumpf; they wanted to make use of Vadian's knowledge of the history of St. Gall for the Eidgenössische Chronik (1547/48) that appeared under Stumpf's name. The chronicle consists of three parts: the first part is about Saint Gall; the second part is a history of the monastery and of the city of St. Gall; the third part gives a historical-topographical description of the city of St. Gall and of Lake Constance. Wolfgang Fechter produced two copies thereof in 1549. The illustrations are by Caspar Hagenbuch.
Online Since: 12/14/2018
The homilies of Gregory the Great in an 11th century script, with red initials and captions. The work was already included in a 10th/11th century book catalog as being held in Pfafers, and it remained in the cloister library after the devastating fire of 1665 as well as after secularization in 1838. On the front and back flyleaves and pastedowns are fragments of the Historia ecclesiastica by Eusebius Caesariensis (9th/10th century).
Online Since: 12/21/2009
Dating from the first half of the 11th century, this is the oldest surviving lectionary from Pfäfers Abbey; it probably was created in the monastery's scriptorium.
Online Since: 10/08/2015
This volume, assembled in the 14th century from four originally separate pieces, probably was the missal for the chapel at St. Margrethenberg (Sampans) above Pfäfers. The chants in parts 1 (1r-63v, 12th century), 2 (64r-77v, 13th-14th century) and 4 (129r-131v, 12th century) contain neumes, part 3 (78r-128v, 14th century) is in square notation.
Online Since: 10/08/2015
Calendar, gradual and sacramentary from the parish church St. Evort in Pfäfers; held in the library of Pfäfers Abbey since the 17th/18th century. With initials, rich decoration and a full-page image of the crucifixion (the canon image) on fol 59r. On fol. 173v, an Alemannischer Glauben und Beichte were later added by a 13th century hand.
Online Since: 06/14/2018
Composite manuscript containing a contemporary version of the Versus de bello Fontanetico, a poem on the battle of Fontenoy-en-Puisaye on June 25, 841.
Online Since: 12/19/2011
This manuscript was produced at the monastery of Pfäfers before ca. 1020 and contains the Dialogues of Pope Gregory I. A guard-leaf containing an important fragment of a Passion Play in German from the early fourteenth century has been removed during a recent restoration.
Online Since: 03/22/2012
Composite manuscript of hagiographic character containing the lives of Saints Colomban, Eustacius, Gall, Otmar, Nicholas of Myre, Augustine, Meinrad, Walburga, Sigismond, Alexis, and Aper as well as a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew by Remigius of Auxerre.
Online Since: 12/19/2011
The Pfafers manuscript of the Vitas Patrum or Adhortationes sanctorum patrum ad profectum perfectionis monachorum was produced during the first half of the 9th century. It contains teachings of the fathers of Christian monasticism, who were extremely well received during the middle ages and had a strong influence on hagiography. This text was written by one hand and includes black, red and yellow filled initials and captions. On the front and back pastedowns are fragments of a homiliarium.
Online Since: 12/21/2009
Manuscript on paper from the library of the Abbey of Pfäfers, dissolved in 1838, containing the German translation by Otto of Diemeringen, widely disseminated in the late middle ages, of Jean de Mandeville's Travels. The Manuscript is illustrated with richly colored pen and ink drawings, which provide cultural and historical insights into this period.
Online Since: 10/15/2007
Ardüser's notes begin in the year 1572 and end in 1614. His chronicle is considered an important source of political and social life in the "Alt Fry Rätien" of the time. Not until the 1870s was Hans Ardüser's chronicle discovered and published by cantonal high school principal J. Bott from Grisons. A large part of the chronicle consists of reports about political events at the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century. In his work Ardüser also mentions crimes and the execution of witches; among other things he reports about extraordinary weather events and consequent crop failures. From his autobiographical nots, which are recorded in the "Rätische Chronik" (Raetian chronicle) as well, it becomes clear that Ardüser was a gifted reader. We can conclude that he obtained his knowledge about all of these topics from written sources such as parish registers, circulating news bulletins, official publications and personal contacts to officials, returning mercenary soldiers or traveling merchants.
Online Since: 06/22/2017
The family register of the Feldkirch student Jakob Hygel, which was established in Dillingen in 1598, was later continued at Lake Constance and in Grisons. The entries contain colored coats of arms with inscriptions in poetry and prose, some of them full-page miniatures. Between 1622 and 1645 entries were made for the Ragaz parish priest Petrus Higelius, a relative (brother?) of Jakob Hygel. Locally this family register is considered a first-rate cultural-historical showpiece (“erstrangiges kulturgeschichtliches Schaustück”) (Burmeister).
Online Since: 12/10/2020
Like Cod. Sang. 722, this manuscript contains an important, but incomplete, copy of the Lex Romana Curiensis, a private literary work in the Gallo-Franco tradition of the "breviary literature" based on the Lex Romana Visigothorum. At the end, the rhaetic sub-deacon Orsicinus signs as a copyist.
Online Since: 12/19/2011
The Liber viventium Fabariensis is likely the most important surviving work of Rhaetish book art. This manuscript was originally designed as an Evangelistary and richly adorned with initials, frames for canonical tables and full-page illustrations of the symbols of the four evangelists. Starting in 830 the names of monks who joined the monastic community were listed in the empty canonical table frames, together with living and deceased benefactors of the abbey. In addition to its function as evangelistary, memorial and record of the monastic brotherhood, the Liber viventium was later also used to preserve the historial records and treasure catalog of Pfäfers Abbey. Because of the legal importance of the Liber viventium up to modern times, the volume is housed in the archival collection of Pfäfers Abbey.
Online Since: 06/02/2010
Liber Aureus, the Golden Book of Pfäfers, was originally produced in about 1080/90 as an Evangelistary, decorated with artistic portraits of the four evangelists. The free space left between the readings was used in the 14th century for the recording of "Weistümern" (judicial sentences).
Online Since: 06/02/2010
A parchment double leaf containing a fragment of a Passion Play in German, including neumes. It can be dated to approximates the first third of the 14th century. It was likely used as a paste-down in a 14th century rebinding of the 10th/11th century Cod. Fab. XI and was cut down for this purpose, so that a portion of the text was lost. The subsequent detachment of the fragment caused an additional loss of text.
Online Since: 03/22/2012
Probably produced in Paris, this pocket Bible contains the Old Testament with 16 of Jerome's prologues to the individual Biblical books. At least five leaves (from 1 Macc. 4: 38) have been torn out of the end. The exceptionally fine and thick parchment is of extremely high quality. The pages feature continuous red-and-blue column headings and chapter numbers. The ornamentation consists of pen-flourished and painted initials, a few of which have figurative scenes: p. 9 (Hexaemeron), p. 137 (Moses), p. 435 (David with Harp), p. 446 (David), p. 450 (fool), p. 470 (David), p. 482 (Solomon). In the Psalms, the liturgical eight-part division of the psalters is particularly emphasized through painted initials.
Online Since: 12/14/2022