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Hussitica in the manuscript collection of Otokar Kruliš-Randa

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2016

Abstract

This article deals with Hussitica in the manuscript collection of the industrialist and bibliophile Otokar Kruliš-Randa (1890-1958). Th e basis of his collection consisted of Mikulov Dietrichstein library manuscripts.

This library was - after purchase of about one fourth of the entire collection by the Czechoslovak state - auctioned in 1933 and 1934. Kruliš-Randa won several dozen medieval codices, of which fifteen are Hussitica, in particular works of Jan Hus, Jakoubek of Stříbro and also of the second generation of Czech Utraquists.

The article provides an overview of Hussitica and discusses the hypothesis that the Protestant nobleman Ferdinand Hoffmann of Grünbüchel (1540-1607) is credited for the acquisition of these codices for the later Mikulov library. Only five Hussitica from the late Mikulov library that were without any doubt in his ownership are now scattered in different manuscript collections.

Selling off the three-quarters of the manuscript collection of the Mikulov chateau, in the opinion of the author constituted a great cultural loss that even a partial reconstruction of the former collection cannot heal.