Collection of manuscripts from the Deanery Library and Saint Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Parish in Cieszyn

History of the repository
The collection of manuscripts is divided into two parts. The first part consists of manuscripts from the Deanery Library and Saint Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Parish in Cieszyn, which are listed in a joint inventory. The second part consists of fragments of archives from the Deanery, Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Cieszyn, the General Vicariate, Heritage of Beatified Jan Sarkander and other religious associations from Cieszyn. In source literature, 1819 is usually given as the official date of the establishment of the library. However, it also includes older collections of books and manuscripts, gathered by priests who were active in Cieszyn in earlier years. In 2002, the collection was deposited in Cieszyn Library.

Contents of the repository
Manuscripts included in this book collection are mainly sermons, lectures, liturgical texts, and copies of theological, philosophical and legal works. There is also one archive manuscript, namely a book which recorded bishop’s visitations in parishes in the Duchy of Cieszyn since 1672. The second part of the collection, which is made up solely of archive materials, contains documents and acts related to the activities of individual institutions and covers 376 items.

Search system

    1. Manuscripts from this book collection are listed in a card catalogue which was made in the 1980s. 43 items were included in a section called “Manuscripts”, whereas the abovementioned visitation book was included in “Incunabula”.
    2. In 2002, archive manuscripts were sorted by Janusz Spyra, who drew up a list entitled “The list of manuscripts deposited in Cieszyn Library by Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Cieszyn”. The list was completed by Anna Rusnok.

Description components

    1. The description of a hand-written item in the card catalogue is as follows: 32 items were simply labelled as “manuscripts” and their call marks were placed on one collective card. Descriptions of the remaining items include:
        • title and the author’s name,
        • date and place of creation,
        • format (only in some cases),
        • the number of pages and a comment on the binding (as above).
    2. In “The list of manuscripts deposited in Cieszyn Library by Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Cieszyn”, the description of each unit includes:
        • indication of the content or title and a note on the content,
        • creation date,
        • a comment on the binding.

Call mark

    1. The call marks of items included in the book record are made up of the letters BD and SD or KD, which stand for a category in the collection (old prints or old books, that is publications from the years 1801-1950), a Roman numeral which indicates the format and an Arabic numeral which indicates the subsequent inventory number, e.g. BD SD III 4352, BD SD IV 4357.
    2. When it comes to manuscripts included in “The list of manuscripts deposited in Cieszyn Library by Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Cieszyn”, the call mark is a combination of the letters BD RS and an Arabic numeral which indicates the subsequent number on the “List”, e.g. BD RS 1, BD RS 118.


Essential literature
Pawłowicz, Biblioteka Dekanatu w Cieszynie, “Kalendarz Cieszyński”, 1993, Cieszyn 1992, pp.77-78; W. Pawłowicz, Biblioteka Dekanatu w Cieszynie. Historia i księgozbiór, [in:] Cieszyńskie księgozbiory historyczne. Materiały z sesji naukowej Cieszyn, 18-20 listopada 1991 r., ed. H. Łaskarzewskiej, Warszawa 1993, pp. 42-52; W. Pawłowicz, U źródeł biblioteki Dekanatu w Cieszynie – kolekcja księdza Antoniego Alojzego Löhna, [in:] “Pamiętnik Cieszyński”, vol. 10, Cieszyn 1995, pp. 18-24; M. Pawłowiczowa, Ks. Jan Brzuska (1757-1840). Jego prace i księgozbiór, “Biuletyn Informacyjny Biblioteki Śląskiej”, 1970, no. 1/4, pp. 88-101.

Książnica Cieszyńska