We take care of KU Leuven Libraries' heritage collections housed in the University Library: rare books, lecture notes and other manuscripts, graphics... We also have a reference collection of more than 65.000 titles on book history.
KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections
If a pedagogy was victorious three years in a row, it won the right to put a crown above their symbol. We can often find these crowned emblems on the first page of proud students’ notebooks. [Post made by Iiunia-Christa Bulzan at the end of her internship]. (5/5)
During the time of the Old University of Leuven (1425-1797), a crucial role in the University’s life was played by the four pedagogies of Leuven. These were 'boarding houses' where students of the Faculty of Arts lived and studied for the two years of their programme. (1/5)
This Book of Hours from Bruges (ms. 1019, c. 1430–1440) features 12 refined half-page miniatures, richly decorated borders, and multiple languages (Latin, Middle French, Middle Dutch).
Created in the renowned Bruges “Gold Scrolls” workshop, it later survived the 1940 fire and is now fully digitised.
An anti-theft verse opens manuscript MS 2250: “Hunc ego possideo summo cum jure libellum; quem si sustuleris, fur tibi nomen erit.” Signed by a certain Guilielmus Hendrickx of Turnhout, a rather commun name, so his identity remains unknown. (1/2)
The Spanish Early Music Manuscripts (SEMM) is a database dedicated to the preservation and study of Spanish medieval music. Founded in 2015, SEMM provides access to key sources that highlight Spain’s unique contribution to the history of medieval liturgical music. #siteoftheweek
a (free) translation of the anti-theft verse: “This little book is rightfully mine; whoever takes it shall be called a thief.” (2/2)
The culmination of the rivalry between the pedagogies was the yearly competition at the completion of the Arts programme. The best three students from each pedagogy were selected to compete against each other and whoever won was declared primus. (3/5)
The primus was celebrated in a wild, days-long party with feasts, parades, flowing drinks and even fireworks. The pedagogy to which the primus belonged was declared the best of them all – that is, until next year’s competition. 4/5)
The four pedagogies were the Pig (with the motto “The Pig raises learned men”), the Castle (“The Castle wages war”), the Lily (“Lilies flourish first”) and the Falcon (“The falcon soars above all”). Fights often broke out over which was the best out of the four. (2/5)
