Strings & Letters. Making of books in medieval Guelders

From November 18, 2018 upto March 10, 2019

The genenal idea of the middle ages excists of clichés and prejudices, like ‘everybody was illiterate’ and ‘Books were written by monks’. However the middle ages were not that different from the present time. There were booksellers, books for entertainment, books for accounting and calendars. There were beautifully binded books for the rich people and simple note books used by ordinary people.

The Book of Hours from Batenburg shows how important this region was for books in the fifteenth century. The book was espescially made for the familiy Van Bronckhorst-Batenburg, a period in which the small town Batenburg flourished.

But also the simple books for daily use, which do not stand out by luxury are valuable. If you look closely you will find lots of information. So, were people in the middle ages already reusing materials and making reading tools. A good example is the string, a binding for books. It is a loop made of strips of parchment of which the ends are twined into strings.

What can be seen and experienced in the exhibition? Step into the world of the parchment maker, book printer and book binder. Discover more about the Book of Hours from Batenburg and learn who the lords of Van Bronckhorst-Batenburg were. In short, live medieval Guelders and discover that each book is unique!

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