From the project promoter
South Tyrol possesses a valuable inheritance of books located under the aegis of various trustees in abbeys, parishes, collectors and museums etc. Within this inheritance there is, on the one hand, much specifically concerned with the culture and psyche of the province. It is, at the same time however, a cultural patrimony of pan European interconnection and of European stature.
Since its foundation in 1992 the Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse [South Tyrol Savings Bank Foundation] has concerned itself with the restoration and rescue of valuable cultural monuments and with the promotion of numerous cultural initiatives.
At the moment the EHB “Erschließung Historischer Buchbestände und Bibliotheken in Südtirol“ [The cataloguing of book collections and libraries in South Tyrol] project is the Foundation’s largest project. The project aims to carry out comprehensive indexing of the province` inventory of historical books, to make it available for research, provide access for the general public and reintroduced it into the province´ cultural consciousness.
The indexing cooperative Bibliogamma Onlus has expedited the cataloguing of historical book collections for over 10 years. This catalogue is growing at a rate of 30,000 to 35,000 entries per annum and has reached a volume of 820,000 entries. The indexing procedure is accompanied by a series of books on the collections which started in 2006. Up to now 10 volumes have been published. They provide insight into the history of the collections, demonstrate their emphasis, introduce particularities and prepare the way for future research.
Other regions, diocese, provinces, institutions envy the Foundation for their involvement in the EHB project.
Just as the owners of the collections, the diocese, the indexing cooperative Bibliogamma Onlus and the staff of the EHB project appreciate the involvement of the Foundation I would also like to express my thanks, on behalf of the Foundation, to everyone participating in the project.
President of the Trust
Prof. Konrad Bergmeister