Church Library Barth
Through the curator of Kloster Ribnitz, I became aware of the
St. Marien Barth Church Library in the context of monastery music.
This is the oldest church library in Germany, always located in the same room (first mentioned in 1398).
Due to the circumstances, the room and books were in a desolate state.
Together with the abbess of Kloster Isenhagen and others, we established a support association, within which we installed an expert advisory board and were able to initiate construction and book restoration work.
The books were saved, made visible and accessible to the public, and conferences with relevant publications provided insights.
The digitization of valuable collections was initiated.
Alongside the expert advisory board, the major libraries in surrounding towns such as Greifswald and Rostock also contributed to this effort.
The initiative received significant support, including from the Krupp Foundation and federal funds, and in 2014, it gained international recognition and visibility through a Europa Nostra Award.
The library contains numerous musical works ranging from
medieval manuscripts to prints from the Reformation era and
later manuscripts.
I have already edited parts of it, such as the Matthäuspassion .
The edition of a collection of cantatas similar to
Telemann's Harmonischer Gottesdienst is currently in preparation.
I have also recorded versions of contrafacta found in a hymnbook printed in Barth, which features adaptations of songs from the time of Luther.
