The University Library is home to the holdings of several scholars’ libraries and monastery libraries, which have been divided between a number of institutions. The trusts run by professors and academics holding “Magister” titles since the 15th century also included book collections with a close connection to the history of the university. With secularisation, huge volumes of books from various monastery libraries ended up in the University Library’s possession.
These provenances (from the Latin word provenire, meaning “to originate”) can be identified by features on the binding or within the book itself: handwritten or stamped owner’s marks, shelf marks indicating the location or bookplates pasted in the book. Handwritten inscriptions attest to the amicable exchange of books and the extensive network of scholars.
