Manuscripts from Leopold Jan Szersznik’s Library

NOTE:

As part of the project
The Preservation and Restoration of Cieszyn’s Written Heritage,
manuscripts from Leopold Jan Szersznik’s Library
were computerized and are now available
in the online
manuscript catalogue.

History of the repository
This library was created in Cieszyn at the turn of the 19th century. Its founder, Reverend Jan Szersznik (1747-1814) was a pedagogue, scientist and collector. In 1802, he opened his library and museum collection to the public. Until 1918, the library functioned as an independent entity and was governed by a Foundation established by Szersznik. Today, it has about 18,000 volumes. There is also a collection of manuscripts with about 1,000 bibliographic records.

Contents of the repository
The collection of manuscripts includes 9 codices dating back to the Middle Ages. Other manuscripts come from the 16th-19th century. Apart from rare books, which were gathered due to their bibliophilic value, the collection includes mostly manuscripts which are useful in historical research. Most of them are related to the history of the Duchy of Cieszyn and other parts of Silesia. There are also many Jesuit manuscripts, as well as numerous texts written by Leopold Jan Szersznik himself.

Search system
The inventory of Szersznik’s Library is made up of two parts:

    1. Repertorium codicum manuscriptorum in caes. Reg. Bibliotheca Scherschnickiana Teschinii – an inventory ledger drawn up in the years 1823-1824 by Albin Heinrich, custodian of the library (ed. A. Heinrich: Repertorium codicum manuscriptorum in caesareo-regia Bibliotheca Scherschnickiana Teschinii, publ. U. Wieczorek, with foreword by K. Szelong, ed. R. Gładkiewicz, Wrocław 2004). It covers only a part of the repository, namely bound codices (from section DD I to DD VII).
    2. Catalogue of manuscripts from Leopold Szersznik’s Library – a typescript from the 1950s drawn up by Ludwik Brożek and Emerich Němec. It covers sections from DD VIII to DD IX which include archive materials arranged in accordance with thematic criteria.

 Description components
The description in the Repertorium includes:

    • title of the manuscript or an indication of its content,
    • creation date,
    • table of contents,
    • external description (notes on the number of pages, materials and the condition of the binding).

Descriptions in the catalogue covering sections DD VIII-DD IX include:

    • title of the manuscript or an indication of its content,
    • creation date,
    • table of contents,
    • external description (notes on the relation to the original, language, stamps, the number of pages and format).

Call mark
The call mark of every item is made up of the letters “DD” which stand for the manuscript section, a Roman numeral which indicates a shelf and an Arabic numeral which indicates the position of the item on the shelf, e.g. “DD I 5” or “DD VIII 20”.

Essential literature
Ph. Gabriel: Einige quellen zur geschichte Schlesien uberhaupt und des herzogtums Teschen insbesondere [sic!], (in:) “Programm des k.k. katholische Gymnasiums in Teschen”, 1852, pp. 15-24; A. Landsfeld: Archiv musea Šeršníkova, Věstník Matice opavské, Opava 1895, pp. 56-60, 1897, pp. 37-40; F. Popiołek: Materjały do historii Śląska w zbiorach cieszyńskich, “Rocznik Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk na Śląsku” 1931, III, pp. 343-347; M. Kudělka: Leopold Jan Šeršník (1747-1814). Život a dílo. Ostrava 1957, pp. 185-190; L. Brożek: Zbiory cieszyńskie, (in:) Biblioteka Śląska 1922-1972, Katowice 1973, pp. 67-83; K. Szelong: Biblioteczne zbiory Leopolda Jana Szersznika, (in:) 190 lat założenia Muzeum i Biblioteki Leopolda Jana Szersznika 1802-1992. ed. Janusz Spyra. Cieszyn 1993, pp. 37-52; M. Makowski, J. Spyra, K. Szelong: Zbiory i Fundacja Szersznika po 1814 r., ibid., pp. 81-90; I. Panic: Zespół archiwalny biblioteki ks. Leopolda Jana Szersznika, ibid., pp. 61-68; K. Szelong: Proces ewidencji i opracowania bibliotecznych zbiorów ks. Leopolda Jana Szersznika. Zarys historyczny, “Roczniki Biblioteczne”, R. 44: 2000, pp. 87-134; M. Zwiercan: Katalog średniowiecznych rękopisów Książnicy Cieszyńskiej, Wrocław 2003; A. Heinrich: Repertorium codicum manuscriptorum in caesareo-regia Bibliotheca Scherschnickiana Teschinii, publ. U. Wieczorek, with foreword by K. Szelong, ed. R. Gładkiewicz, Wrocław 2004.

Książnica Cieszyńska