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Andraz Zvab
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Posted: Mon Jan 25th, 2016 06:22 pm |
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Greetings to all!
Slovenian historians of alchemy August Dimitz (1827-1886) and Fran Minarik (1887-1972) mentioned certain book with title Das gessamte Buch der Wissenheit zum langen Leben und wolkomenden Reichtum. This book had been very common in Rosicrucian circles in Europe in 18th century. The book is known also as The Hermaphroditischen Sonn und Monds Kind. It is quite common in the libraries in Europe and USA as well and also in the private collections. The book had been in possession of certain Herr Breitenau who in the 1827, feeling he will leave the material world behind, had given it to his personal doctor Lorenz Chrysanth von Vest, doctor, botanic and chemist. As mentions Dimitz, Herr Breitenau had given it as a precious treasure, as something that must be either kept in secret or destroyed. The book was in 1861 kept in Archiv des historiches Vereins für Krain. It is there that August Dimitz found it and described it in his never-published discussion about alchemy in Carniola. Fran Minarik, the famous pharmacist and historian of pharmacy and medicine wrote about it as well, mostly citing Dimitz. When I was doing on my BA degree about alchemy in Slovenia the book was no longer in Archive of Republic of Slovenia. However, further research has led me to the book of Joachim Telle: Alchemie und Poesie: Deutsche Alchemikerdichtungen des 15. bis 17. Jahrhunderts, 2013, Berlin-Boston, De Gruyter. On the pages 1033 and 1034 I found – much to my great amazement and joy – that this book is mentioned as being in possession of Yale University Library. I quote Joachim Telle, pages 1033-1034:
Nr. 14
New Haven/Connecticut, Yale University Library, Mellon Ms 133, Bl 1r – 178v. Eine Abschrift vom Ende des18. Jahrhudnerts entstanden in rosenkreutzerischen Milieu. Um 1827 schnekte sie “Herr von Breitemann (?)” bzv. “von Breitenau” einem Monogrammisten “V.” wohl dem Artz, Botaniker und Chemiker Lorenz Chrysanth von Vest (1776/1840). 1861 befand sich die Handschrift im Archiv des historichen Vereins für Krain.”
Obviously that is the same book that August Dimitz and Fran Minarik wrote about. The book was kept in Carniola in Archiv des historichen Vereins für Krain and later in the Archive of Republic of Slovenia. How came that the book is now located in Yale University library?
Any suggestion would be deeply appreciated.
With very best wishes to all,
Andraz Zvab
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Paul Ferguson
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Posted: Mon Jan 25th, 2016 06:30 pm |
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Hi Andraz,
You could try contacting Tatjana Lorkovic. She might know:
http://www.library.yale.edu/slavic/research/slovenia.html
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Andraz Zvab
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Posted: Mon Jan 25th, 2016 07:19 pm |
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Thank you very much for your suggestion! I have contacted Mrs. Tatjana Lorkovic and I hope she could help at my inquirey. The most interesting thing regarding the books is that they are connected to the people.
Kind regards,
Andraz Zvab
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