O "chowaniu", "uwożeniu" i "pomoknięciu" bibliotek Radziwiłów : z problemów ochrony książek w pierwszej połowie XVII wieku

Abstract

The archival materials preserved in the Central Record Office of Old Documents allow to conduct the studies on ways cf keeping, carrying and protecting Radziwills’ libraries in the 17th century. The collections were kept in different residences in properly adapted rooms, sometimes secured with gratings. In the wars’ period all the collections were replaced in order to protect them from damages. The library in Owanty was transferred to Lubcz due to enrich Radziwills’ private collection. The books were also transported during magnates’ foreign journeys. We also get to know on the basis of correspondence about vicissitudes of Radziwills’ courtiers’ libraries: some suffered moistening due to bad housing conditions (B. Krośniewicz’ books), others were burnt during the war period. Radziwills from Birza tried to create proper conditions for their libraries and appropriate protection of archival documents. Prince Bogusław noticed some dangers (dampness, rodents, lack of permanent place of storing) which precious codexes and single ancestral documents were exposed to.