A medieval treasure returns to Wroclaw – an Augustinian manuscript is back in the Wroclaw University Library's collection.

One of the most valuable relics of medieval literature has returned to Wrocław – a 15th-century manuscript of St. Augustine's works, long considered a unique element of Silesian cultural heritage. Its return to the collections of the Wroclaw University Library is an event of great significance for both the academic community and the entire regional community.

Last week, the official handover ceremony of the manuscript took place at the Polish Embassy in Paris. Participants emphasized that it was a true "VIP" among medieval codices. The manuscript, returned to Poland with due respect, was transported back under the care of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and Minister Marta Cienkowska. After a safe flight to Warsaw, it was then transported to Wroclaw under the care of the director of the University Library.

Wroclaw has once again become the place where this priceless work of art has found its natural and historical place.

On Tuesday, February 17th, the manuscript was officially welcomed at the Library during a press conference. The event was attended by WUL's authorities, employees of the Manuscripts Department, invited guests, and media representatives. The official welcome was delivered by Library's Director Dr. Dorota Siwecka and Vice-Rector for Research - Prof. Dr. hab. Artur Błażejewski, who emphasized the importance of recovering such a valuable artifact for research into the history of the book and for cultivating the cultural identity of Silesia.

Special thanks were extended to Dr. Antoine Haaker from the WUL's Manuscripts Department, whose many years of comparative research and source analysis played a key role in identifying the manuscript in foreign collections. Director Dorota Siwecka emphasized that thanks to Dr. Haaker's "painstaking, almost detective-like work," the manuscript was recovered and returned to the Library. She also expressed gratitude to the French gallery Les Enluminures for their exemplary cooperation and thanked the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, particularly the Department of Cultural Heritage, for their support and involvement in the recovery process.

The Rector noted that this is another valuable item recovered over the years. He also emphasized that the theft was not accidental, and that the discovery of the manuscript was possible thanks to the ingenuity and professionalism of Dr. Haaker, as well as the work of other WUL's employees and the expertise of librarians.

The recovered codex is remarkably well-preserved and has over 200 cards. It contains five works by St. Augustine, including the famous Confessions — considered the first intellectual autobiography in literary history. The manuscript is meticulously and elegantly written, and its cards are adorned with thirty richly illuminated initials. This is an exceptionally beautiful copy of texts of immense cultural and intellectual significance.

The works of St. Augustine were cut from a larger volume. The perpetrator destroyed the manuscript's medieval binding, leaving in the library only the loose front cover and the cards containing the work by Peter Berchorius. His goal was to mislead librarians who regularly inspect the collection. The thief knew that the manuscript was not described in detail in the inventory and that it was not microfilmed. He therefore hoped that library staff would attribute the missing leaves to war damage in 1945 or earlier — a relatively common occurrence in case of older collections. This allowed him to sell the cards containing the works of St. Augustine as a separate codex, and the theft remained undetected for many years.

Fortunately, a year ago, Dr. Antoine Haaker, an employee of the University Library, noticed the missing fragments of the manuscript. This allowed him to identify the provenance of the St. Augustine's Codex, which appeared in the sale of the "Les Enluminures" gallery. Through detailed research, Dr. Haaker demonstrated that the cards were cut after the war, when the codex was in the collections of the University of Wrocław.

Special thanks were extended to Sandra Hindman, owner of the Les Enluminures gallery, who decided to return this extremely valuable piece of writing.

This is the fifth valuable book recovered for the University of Wrocław thanks to the work of Dr. Antoine Haaker. The Augustinian Codex is unique for two reasons.

First, all books recovered so far have originated outside Silesia. This manuscript, however, was created in Silesia and is an authentic testament to Silesian writing. It was written in the 15th century by Andrzej of Zlotoryja, a monk from the Carthusian monastery near Legnica.

Secondly, we are delighted that we will soon be able to restore the codex to its former appearance, completing it with the missing cards with St. Augustine's texts and reconstructing the original binding. This will allow the manuscript to regain its full historical and artistic value.

The return of this artifact is of great significance for research on book culture, medieval theology, and the history of writing in Silesia. Its reinstatement in the Wroclaw University Library's collection opens new research opportunities and enables continued work on documenting the fate of the region's lost cultural assets.

The full story of the discovery, identification, and return of the manuscript will be presented by Dr. Antoine Haaker during a lecture in the Colloquia Bibliologa Wratislaviensia series, which will take place on February 24th at 1:00 p.m. in conference room no. 4 of the Wroclaw University Library.

This will be a unique opportunity to learn not only about the fate of the manuscript itself, but also about the research work that made its recovery possible.

We cordially invite everyone interested in the history of books, the culture of the region and the extraordinary history of medieval manuscripts.

Link to register for the event: https://forms.office.com/e/Ufhg74GWC1

Photos: Grzegorz Pawlik, WUL

Text prepared in cooperation with Dr. Antoine Haaker: WUL's Infrastructure and Image Department