Eppan

Library of the Capuchins of Eppan

In 1638 Capuchin monks moved in to the newly constructed monastery at St Michael in Eppan and brought the first volumes for their library with them. Well known donors and contributors supported the growth of the library e.g. the priest Stefan Baletitius Nagius [also Naggius], Laurentius Baumgartner, Balthasar Lichtenegger, Mattias Roman Prenner, and the Augustine Chorister Gregor Tasser who was born in St. Michael an der Etsch and Johann Stiglmayer. In addition, lay persons also bequeathed books to the Capuchins in Eppan e.g. Baroness Margarethe von Sternbach, Josef Maria Mörl von Mühlen and Sichelburg, J. A. Franzin von Zinnenberg und Margreid etc.
Although the emphasis of the library lay in the area of theology the historic collection includes, in addition to 30 incunabula, rarities such as the “Halsgerichtsordung, Kaiser Karl V” from 1540 [Schöffer, Mainz], a Justinian legal code and “Clagspiegel” – both works were printed by Weissenhorn in Augsburg in 1540. A prayer book belonging to “Maximillian der Deutschmeister” [1608] is also in the collection. The library, which since the dissolution of the monastery in Eppan in 1972, is located in the Provincial Library in Brixen consists principally of the works of southern German publishers.
During the indexing of the library in 2004 the manuscript “Unterricht wie die Krankheiten zu erkennen […]” by P. Wendelin Schmidt, which was classified as lost by Capuchin Agapit Hohenegger at the beginning of the 20th, could also be catalogued. The books are mostly in Latin and/or German, merely 4% of the 2,990 works is in Italian.

Bibliography:
Rainhard Domanegg, Die Kapuzinerbibliotheken Klausen, Eppan, Schlanders und Müstair, Brixen 2007


 

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Location: Capuchin Convent of Brixen

Library Structure