Shredded Yet Still Speaking

The Middle Ages - an era we think we know. But are we certain there are no surprises left to uncover? A fresh look at the Mondsee Fragments, some of the earliest Old High German biblical translations, opens up an astonishing new chapter in the study of medieval culture and censorship.

These fragments, once part of a complete Gospel manuscript created in the 9th century at the Benedictine Abbey of Mondsee, were long of interest to linguists due to their value for the study of Old High German. However, one question remained largely unexamined: Why was this manuscript destroyed?

Originally written to bring the message of the Gospel - specifically the Book of Matthew - to the common people in their native tongue, the Codex enjoyed nearly 700 years of preservation. Then, during the 15th and 16th centuries, something dramatic happened: the manuscript was systematically dismantled. In a process now euphemistically called "makulierung" (maculation), the valuable parchment was cut into strips and reused as binding material for newer books.

While parchment reuse was not uncommon due to its cost and durability, what makes this case exceptional is the method and intent. Instead of overwriting the pages as palimpsests - a common practice - or locking them away in restricted "poison cabinets" (armaria venenata) reserved for controversial texts, the Codex was physically and irreversibly destroyed.

Why? The likely answer lies in the religious politics of the Counter-Reformation. In a time when Latin was increasingly enforced as the sole sacred language, vernacular Bible translations like the one in the Mondsee Codex were seen as subversive and heretical. The destruction of such texts wasn't an accident - it was part of a deliberate strategy to erase unauthorized access to Scripture.

Yet here lies the irony: precisely because the manuscript was cut up and scattered, some of its fragments survived. Had it been locked away in one place, it might have been lost to fire or decay. Instead, its dismemberment ensured its preservation - though fragmentary - across centuries.

The story of its rediscovery is one of scholarly persistence. In 1717, librarian Bernhard Pez discovered the first fragments inside the binding of another book. But it wasn't until the 19th century that researchers like Stephan Endlicher and Hoffmann von Fallersleben began the painstaking work of locating and reassembling additional pieces. Their efforts led to the first printed edition of the fragments in 1834.

Today, these fragments are considered cultural treasures. Their journey from sacred scripture, to heretical waste, to linguistic and historical monument, reflects not only changing views on language and belief, but also the unpredictable ways in which history preserves what it almost lost.

Key Takeaway: Sometimes, asking a new question about something old can open the door to profound new insights.
Podcast-link: https://youtu.be/fahHgRaGHyI

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This release was published on openPR.