The National Library of Luxembourg has purchased Giant Bible of St. Maximin for €4.5 million. Created in the later years of the 11th century, this medieval manuscript was previously held in a private collection.
The Giant Bible of St. Maximin was created around the year 1080 at the imperial abbey of Sankt Maximin in Trier, a town that borders Luxembourg in the present-day. It is a very large illuminated manuscript, weighing about 25 kilograms, and would have used the hides of about 200 cows to make.
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Claude D. Conter, Director of the National Library of Luxembourg, comments, “It is extremely rare for a manuscript to return to its ‘place of origin’ nearly a millennium after its creation, and rarer still for its journey over such a long period to be traceable year by year. The giant Bible that the BnL was able to acquire after lengthy negotiations is a unique example of this.”
Image courtesy Les Enluminures
The Giant Bible of St. Maximin served as a lectionary for special occasions in the choir of the abbey’s church for about six centuries, and for hundreds of years after that it was held at the monastery’s library. But after Sankt Maximin was supressed in 1802, the library was divided up. The bible was then bought and sold among several people until 2022, when it was handed over to Les Enluminures, a dealer in medieval manuscripts, who facilitated the sale to the National Library.
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“Les Enluminures is honored to continue to play a role in the repatriation of objects of cultural value to their origins,” says Sandra Hindman, Founder and CEO of Les Enluminures. “We are never happier than when our manuscripts go ‘home’. When the owner approached me with a desire to sell, I immediately thought of Luxembourg.”
Image courtesy the National Library of Luxembourg
The National Library of Luxembourg has organized a crowd funding campaign for donations to help pay for the purchase. Click here to learn more.
“This historical document represents not only a fundamental pillar of our cultural heritage but also a valuable asset for promoting cultural tourism in Luxembourg,” says Eric Thill, the nation’s Minister of Culture. “Preserving and protecting this millennial manuscript is essential to offering everyone, as well as future generations, the opportunity to discover the historical and artistic treasures of our country.”
The National Library of Luxembourg has purchased Giant Bible of St. Maximin for €4.5 million. Created in the later years of the 11th century, this medieval manuscript was previously held in a private collection.
The Giant Bible of St. Maximin was created around the year 1080 at the imperial abbey of Sankt Maximin in Trier, a town that borders Luxembourg in the present-day. It is a very large illuminated manuscript, weighing about 25 kilograms, and would have used the hides of about 200 cows to make.
Claude D. Conter, Director of the National Library of Luxembourg, comments, “It is extremely rare for a manuscript to return to its ‘place of origin’ nearly a millennium after its creation, and rarer still for its journey over such a long period to be traceable year by year. The giant Bible that the BnL was able to acquire after lengthy negotiations is a unique example of this.”
The Giant Bible of St. Maximin served as a lectionary for special occasions in the choir of the abbey’s church for about six centuries, and for hundreds of years after that it was held at the monastery’s library. But after Sankt Maximin was supressed in 1802, the library was divided up. The bible was then bought and sold among several people until 2022, when it was handed over to Les Enluminures, a dealer in medieval manuscripts, who facilitated the sale to the National Library.
“Les Enluminures is honored to continue to play a role in the repatriation of objects of cultural value to their origins,” says Sandra Hindman, Founder and CEO of Les Enluminures. “We are never happier than when our manuscripts go ‘home’. When the owner approached me with a desire to sell, I immediately thought of Luxembourg.”
The National Library of Luxembourg has organized a crowd funding campaign for donations to help pay for the purchase. Click here to learn more.
“This historical document represents not only a fundamental pillar of our cultural heritage but also a valuable asset for promoting cultural tourism in Luxembourg,” says Eric Thill, the nation’s Minister of Culture. “Preserving and protecting this millennial manuscript is essential to offering everyone, as well as future generations, the opportunity to discover the historical and artistic treasures of our country.”
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