Historical fund MZK

Incunabule Collection

The core of the incunabule collection of the Moravian State Library is formed by the original collection of the Francis Museum (Františkovo muzeum) (PT1, PT2, PT3, PT4). The greatest contributions to the collection were the incunabules of the former Dietrichstein chateau library in Mikulov (FEM), purchased by the state at foreign auctions from 1933 to 1934. After World War II, the collection was enriched by the incunabules from the Chorinsky chateau library in Veselí nad Moravou (CHP) and from the Capuchin monastery library in Znojmo (ZKP). The library also stores incunabules on loan from some Moravian monastery libraries (Collection of Manuscripts).

Old Print Handbooks

This collection contains about 2,300 books on library management and basic works from related disciplines (history, auxiliary historical sciences), concentrating mainly on printed catalogues and bibliographies of historical collections in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Manuscript Collection

The manuscript collection consists of manuscripts from the Moravian Library (RKP, RKP2), the former Dietrichstein chateau library in Mikulov (MK), the Chorinsky chateau library in Veselí nad Moravou (CH-RKP), and the Piarist library in Mikulov (MP-RKP). The MZK also stores manuscripts  on loan from several Moravian monastery libraries - from the Augustinian monastery in Old Brno (A), the Franciscan monasteries in Dačice (D) and Moravská Třebová (MT), and the Minorite monastery in Brno (Mn). 

Old Print Collection

The oldest part of the collection consists of legacies and gifts from the co-founders and donors of the Francis Museum - Count Antonín Bedřich Mitrovský, Count Josef Auersperg, Count Hugo Salma, and Josef Antonín Ponesch. The collection gradually grew through the gifts of supporters (e.g. Count Bedřich Sylva Tarouca), legacies, and purchases (the library of the Protestant pastor Josef Gustaf Szalatnay de Nagy Szalatny, the library of the Slavist and Bohemicist Adolf Patera, the chateau libraries in Čechy pod Kosířem, the school libraries in Klatovy and Žatec, the rare Jesuit school library in Jihlava, the libraries of institutions of the Moravian Foundation (Matice moravská), Museum association, and the Prague secundo-geniture Lobkowicz library). The current collection of the Moravian State Library contains around 40,000 old print volumes (ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, and STS). In addition to the Moravian State Library basic stocks, the collection also includes separate religious and secular libraries (e.g. seized German property) as smaller retained closed historical units:

  • Count Chorinsky's chateau library (including the older library of the Walldorf count) in Veselí nad Moravou (CH)
  • Library of the Khuen Belasi counts in Emin Dvůr u Hrušovan nad Jevišovkou (BKB)
  • Collection of Kübeck von Kübau in the Lechovice chateau library (fragments) (MKK)
  • Chateau library in Lysá nad Labem - fragments (L)
  • Library of the first German High School in Brno (G)
  • Library of the Jihlava Surgical Panel (JCH)
  • Museum library in Uherský Brod (UB)
  • Piarist library in Mikulov(MP)
  • Capuchin library in Znojmo(ZK)
  • Library of the Redemptorist College in Svitavy (SR)
  • Bishop seminar library (BS)

Collection of Masonic Literature(Fr)

A gift (dated 1857) from Antonín Endsmann, a knight from Ronov. Endsmann acquired the collection at the auction of the library of Count Joseph Auersperg, whose initials JGA may be found on the blue Morrocan leather bindings. Half of the original collection was lost during the occupation as these were sent to Berlin by the police. The collection was gradually extended with new literature with Masonic themes. This collection is no longer being extended.

Bibliophile

Publications with artistic graphic design and workmanship. The shelf location of bibliophile items is Bf. Such items may be borrowed in the Old Prints Reading Room. 

Comeniana Collection (Ks)

This collection was founded as a special collection of the works of Jan Amos Comenius as early as 1900. Besides the core collection from the Francis Museum (Františkovo muzeum) - 37 volumes-  expanded by another 12 volumes transferred from the Moravian State Archive stocks, the collection further grew through acquisitions from European secondhand markets. The collection is divided in two parts: works by Comenius published prior to 1800 (incunabules labelled Ks, approximately 200 volumes) and works published after 1800 (labelled Kn in the modern library stock).