Bibliotheca Zriniana
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| Bibliotheca Zriniana | |
|---|---|
| Zrinska knjižnica | |
_-_katalog.jpg) Front cover of the 2008 Čakovec exhibition catalogue of Bibliotheca Zriniana | |
| Location | founded in Čakovec Castle, Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), today preserved in the National and University Library in Zagreb, Croatia |
| Type | Private library |
| Established | 1662 |
| Architects | Nikola VII Zrinski, Ban (Viceroy) of Croatia |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | ancient Greek classics, ancient Roman classics, philosophy, history, military doctrine, architecture, economics, scholastics, geography, poems, etc. |
| Size | 731 |
| Other information | |
| Parent organisation | National and University Library in Zagreb |
| Website | www |
The Bibliotheca Zriniana[1] (Croatian: Zrinska knjižnica) is the book collection of Nikola VII Zrinski, Ban (Viceroy) of Croatia, from the 17th century. It was established in Čakovec, the seat of the Zrinski noble family at that time. 1662 is considered to be the year of its founding, as its owner designed the specialized catalogue and had it printed. The collection was later moved several times and stayed outside Croatia for many years, but was finally bought in 1892 in Vienna and brought to Zagreb, where it is situated until now, largely preserved, in the Croatian National and University Library.[2]
The Renaissance-baroquee library in Čakovec began to form as early as the 16th century, i. e. from the time of Nikola VII Zrinski's ancestors. Most likely, this process started since his great-grandfather Nikola Šubić Zrinski (1508–1566), later followed by his grandfather Juraj (George) IV (1549–1603), his uncle Nikola VI (around 1570–1625) and father Juraj V (1599–1626),[3] but the library was cataloged in 1662.
The catalogue was named Catalogus omnium librorum bibliothecae Chaktorniensis excellentissimi atque illustrissimi domini comitis Nicolai a Zrinio bani. Anno Domini 1662. die 10 octobris[4] (translated: "Catalogue of all books in the Čakovec library of the distinguished and illustrious Count Nikola Zrinski, Banus. On October 10, 1662").
As professor Zvonimir Bartolić, president of Matica hrvatska (Matrix Croatica) branch in Čakovec, mentioned in the catalogue of 2008 exhibition of Zriniana in Čakovec, the number of books at that time amounted to more than 500 units. There were 431 listed books[5] in the Catalogus..., plus about 100 volumes that were not mentioned in it. All the books recorded were divided into eleven thematic groups. After the death of Nikola Zrinski in 1664, his library was taken over by his wife Maria Sofia née Löbl († 1676)[6] and his underage son Adam (1662–1691). During the turbulent years of the Magnate conspiracy, the two retreated from Zrinski Castle in Čakovec, first to Varaždin, then to Virovitica and finally to Vienna. They took the library with them and thus the Zriniana was protected from the danger of being plundered when the magnates' conspiracy was violently ended.[7]
Since Adam Zrinski was shot in 1691 in the Battle of Slankamen, his widow Maria Katarina née Lamberg remarried Count Maximilian Arnošt II Vlašim from Moravian Vöttau (Bitov in today's Czech Republic). Zrinski's library remained in the Bítov Castle for nearly two centuries.[8] Almost forgotten in a distant spare room, it was "rediscovered" again in 1873 and later sold to the Viennese antiquarian Samuel Kende[9] in 1890. He prepared and published a thorough description of the Bibliotheca Zriniana in German, which he sent to the most important Hungarian libraries as an auction catalogue.[10]
Although Hungarian libraries were interested in buying the collection, the Croatian state government reacted more quickly and skilfully and eventually bought it in 1892/93 for 12,000 Forint. The Zriniana was immediately transported from Vienna to Zagreb and housed in what was then the Croatian Royal University Library, which later became a part of today's National and University Library.[11]
