Szesnastowieczne edycje dzieł Andreasa Vesaliusa w katalogach bibliotek pałacowych w Słobitach i Dzikowie Iławeckim z początku XVIII i XIX w.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines records of 16th-century editions of Andreas Vesalius’s works in surviving catalogues of two Prussian aristocratic libraries: the Dohna family library at Słobity and the Schwerin family library at Dzikowo Iławeckie. Through a comparative analysis of bibliographical entries, it identifies works formerly held in collections dispersed or destroyed during or shortly after the Second World War. The printed catalogue of the Słobity library, compiled by Hildebert Schellhorn and published in 1858, records the second edition of De humani corporis fabrica (Basel, 1555). Two manuscript catalogues of the Dzikowo Iławeckie library, dating from the early eighteenth century, contain entries for a work described as Anatomia. The place of publication recorded in one of them suggests that it was Tabulae anatomicae sex (Venice, 1538). These findings demonstrate an interest in Vesalius’s works among Prussian aristocratic collectors and suggest that scientific content, artistic quality and the prestige of ownership contributed to their appeal. The article also highlights the value of historical library catalogues for reconstructing lost collections. The present whereabouts of the recorded copies remain unknown.
Author: Alicja Łuczyńska
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7224097756