The Bibliotheca Enchusana or Librije of Enkhuizen is one of the oldest libraries that are still preserved in situ in the Netherlands and can rightfully be called a unique book historical monument.... Show moreThe Bibliotheca Enchusana or Librije of Enkhuizen is one of the oldest libraries that are still preserved in situ in the Netherlands and can rightfully be called a unique book historical monument. In this dissertation the history of the Librije is reconstructed through a new scholarly catalogue, which is based on a hands-on examination of all the books from the library’s holdings. The catalogue contains extensive bibliographical descriptions as well as information about the physical evidence of every book’s unique history, such as inscriptions of former owners, binding details, and manuscript annotations. Together with information from archival documents, the new catalogue helps to better understand the holdings of the Librije, their origin and history, as well as the use and function of the library since its foundation. Subsequently, this dissertation explores how the specific character of Enkhuizen influenced the Librije and how the role of the library changed throughout history. Show less
*** 'Catalogus van het oosterse legaat van Josephus Justus Scaliger 1609', K. van Ommen and F.A. de Wolff, can be found at : http://hdl.handle.net/1887/123271 ***In 1593 the eminent scholar... Show more*** 'Catalogus van het oosterse legaat van Josephus Justus Scaliger 1609', K. van Ommen and F.A. de Wolff, can be found at : http://hdl.handle.net/1887/123271 ***In 1593 the eminent scholar Josephus Justus Scaliger (1540-1609) arrived in Leiden to accept the position as honorary professor in Latin language, antiquities and history. Scaliger had taken a part of his library, including many Oriental books and manuscripts, with him to Leiden. In 1609 Scaliger bequeathed by testament the part of his library to Leiden university that consisted of ‘[…] tous mes livres de langues estrangeres, Hebraics, Syriens, Arabics, Aethiopiens, lesquels livres sont contenus dans le Catalogue que i’ay adiousté a la copie latine de ce mien testament […]’. The governors of the university acknowledged the importance of this bequest, immediately recognized the potential of this collection of rare printed books and manuscripts and realized that this collection could make a substantial difference in acquiring a prominent position amongst the other European universities that were competing for scholarly supremacy during the seventeenth century. The governors stressed the importance of compiling a catalogue of the bequest, but subsequent catalogues from the period 1612-1674 all provide an incomplete overview of the bequest. In this thesis Scaligers bequest containing all his printed Oriental books is reconstructed and presented for the first time. Show less
