Support the backup of historical account books
We need your help
Our new donation project: Accurate to the penny - securing the historical account books of the United Cathedral Foundations
Accounts are among the most informative and detailed sources when it comes to researching everyday life at a cathedral or collegiate monastery. They not only convey the complex structure of the abbey's economy, but also document all construction measures, renovations, acquisitions of art and sacred objects or the installation of new altars, as was recently the case with the Cranach-Triegel Altarpiece in Naumburg. Account books have been preserved at all three archive locations of the United Cathedral Foundations since the 15th century. Unfortunately, the oldest account books from the 15th and 16th centuries only have very simple bindings, which are also often damaged and cannot adequately protect the sensitive paper manuscripts with the invoice entries. Permanent stabilisation can be achieved using so-called slipcases. These are special archive boxes made of acid-free material in which the account books are placed upright with the spine visible. The costs for the slipcasing of the oldest volumes amount to approx. 2,000 euros. With your donation, you can contribute to the long-term preservation of these special sources.
