Ratdoltova astronomika v českých a moravských knihovnách

• Authors: Kamil Boldan

Title variants

EN

Ratdolt's Astronomical Works in Bohemian and Moravian Libraries

• Languages of publication: CS

Abstracts

EN

How incunabula reached the Bohemian lands is still an underresearched topic. Using astronomical prints as a case study, this contribution examines whether such works were already available in the Bohemian-Moravian book market during the fifteenth century. The study focuses on the production of printer Erhard Ratdolt, operating first in Venice (1476–1486) and later in Augsburg, who specialised in this market segment and published 38 astronomical and astrological works. The research is based on a published catalogue of 104 copies of astronomical works from both Ratdolt presses (published as an appendix), now held in Czech libraries and archives. The study examines provenance marks to distinguish copies that arrived in the region during the fifteenth century (approximately half) from those imported in later centuries. The survey reveals that astronomical titles from Ratdolt’s Augsburg press, and to a lesser extent from his Venetian press, did penetrate the Bohemian-Moravian market, albeit in limited numbers. Most of the books were purchased in foreign markets by students from Catholic regions of Bohemia and Moravia, as they travelled abroad for university studies and established the core of their libraries there. Nevertheless, the study demonstrates that Ratdolt’s astronomical prints also reached Prague University, though they were mostly acquired by individual masters. During the post-Hussite period, astronomical instruction at Prague University, which admitted only Utraquist students, stagnated. This was reflected in the limited number of scholars capable of engaging with demanding astronomical texts. To confirm these preliminary findings, a comprehensive provenance survey of all astronomical incunabula in Czech institutions will be necessary, extending beyond a single printing press. Such research will also contribute to the history of astronomy, as our knowledge of this discipline’s development during the Jagiellonian period remains inadequate.

Keywords

EN

Incunabula; Provenance research; Book trade; Astronomy in the 15th century; Astronomical prints

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
• Journal: Knihy a dějiny (Books and history)
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 8-41
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Kamil Boldan

• Knihovna AV ČR, v.v.i., Národní 1009/3, 115 22 Praha 1, Czech Republic