682 authors, 714,000 pages, sourced from 3,500 old boooks (printed during 16th – 19th C.), new published in 1,838 eBooks

We are proud having this jewel within our collections.

Over Centuries many of these printed book with its valuable contents were well preserved in a rare Benedictine Convent Library in Germany.

We consider our collections as unique – why?

Our first reason ‘why unique’ : in this Convent their nuns religious life continuation was not ‘interrupted’ during the Secularization troubles (years 1803 – 1835 ) as this happened in other Convents.

Our second reason ‘why unique’ : during these ‘transition’ period most of the Convents Libraries were destroyed, together with their valuable book contents. Therefore, we label our eBook collections as unique for primary and secondary sources. This includes unique possibilities for research project regarding Mentality-Projects, in our case for researches for “Verlorene Lebenswelt” (translated as ‘Lost  times of Civilisation’ in Europe).

To the best of our knowledge, it is unique to have titles available individually and as collections from such a rare Benedictine Convent library. 

Our third reason ‘why unique’: our collections mirrows a Benedictine Convent Library  during Baroque Times, including its contents from nine Centuries. 

“Die Bibliothek wird allgemein als ein wesentlicher Bestandteil eines beneditktinischen Klosters betrachtet. Zusammen mit Gebet, Arbeit und Erholung strukturiert die geistliche Lesung den Tag in der [kloesterlichen] Gemeinschaft. In …. seiner Regel beleuchtet Bendikt von Nursia das Verhaeltnis von Arbeit (labor) und geistlicher Lesung (lectio divina) und betont …… die grosse Wichtigkeit der letzteren”, Sr. Mechthildis Denz OSB, Bibliothekarin (1)

“The library is generally regarded as an essential part of a Benedictine monastery  [and aconvent]. Along with prayer, work, and recreation, spiritual reading structures the day in the [monastic] community. In his Rule, Benedict of Nursia elucidates the relationship between work (labor) and spiritual reading (lectio divina) and emphasizes the great importance of the latter.” (‘Google Translation’ on Aug 1, 2026).

Our fourth reason ‘why’ we frame our Theology  / Spirituality / Religion collections as unique’  are our eBooks and / or Microfiche – titles connected to such a rare Convent Library. Both media are available together with electronic Bibliographic Records in International Standards.

Our media serves research objectives, Library’s needs for long-term archival requirements, and as substitute media for user needs / wishes in this way to protect Libraries own ‘physical’ collections (Preservation).

Normally Library destruction (as with Convent Libraries for Nuns) did not happen with Monastery Libraries (for Minks). Their Manuscripts / Books used to be ‘transported’ into State Libraries. Once arrived in there, such ‘preserved’ books or Manuscripts were ‘incorporated’ / catalogued into these State Libraries Collections, sometimes even keeping their provenience, such as Pal. Lat 123 (as an example). This is another result of the so-called Secularization processes shortly after the French Revolution.

Why was there such a difference in handling Convent Libraries (Nuns) vs. Monastery Libraries (Monks)? Convent Libraries with their collections in Erbauungsliteratur (most popular Literature Genre up to the middle of 18th Century) were considered as ‘dangerous’ for the outside world of a Convent. Therefore often destroyed, the contents were lost for future generations. The Nuns were teaching in schools etc., they were a kind of teachers outside the Convents.

100 eBook have contents-from the 16th Century (our oldest content in one eBook dates from year 1514). Some works are in Latin Language. Most contents are in German Language, originally published in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish Languages and quickly translated into German Language for their German publications. This demonstrates the lively cultural exchange between the countries in Europe during the Baroque Period.

There is no public access to the  Convent Library, the ‘physical’ access is reserved for Benedictine Nuns.

The titles selection criteria for our collections from this Library were the rarity of the books and their physical condition in the Convent Library. We did not interfere into the physical substance of any volume.

If available, first editions were given priority.

The titles selection had the intention to mirror the Convent Library character.

The formal structure /indexing in cataloguing these titles are based on RAK-WB. 

To address the difficult task for a subject-specific library classifications  system – based on academic layers with such historical theological / religious sources from past Centuries –  the ‘Regensburg Classification System for Theology‘ was considered as adequate and subsequently applied. 

The eBooks were produced and published with the text of the underlying old books as digitally enhanced facsimile pages and accordingly edited by us. The original typography, layout, design, images etc., including any ‘typesetting errors’  as well as handwritten notes in the originals are unchanged. Each eBook offers user-friendly access to individual texts, specific pages, sections, etc. via manual and digital bookmarks, which were individually integrated as table of content in each eBook, as well an original table of contents – if available.

The eBooks are available in many collections, sets and compilations. For the digital access & usage in an Academic institution a license agreement is in place. This agreement defines i.e. usage options for authorized users in an academic institutions (LAN, NETWORK, etc.). Prices depends on such requirements and quantities of titles.

Theology / Spirituality /  Religion: 
682 writers, 12th – 19th Centuries
1,838 eBooks, 714,000 pages in German Language, sourced from 3,500 ‘physical’ books, printed in 16th – 19th Centuries 

For additional quantitative data within our Theology collections you may click in our SHOP at the tab THEOLOGY – Quantities

You will find content data with access options in our SHOP tabs >THEOLOGY-Products, there click  >>SPIRITUALITY-Products, and/or click  >>RELIGION-Products with specific ‘Subject’-inquiry tabs.

In each of these Inquiry pages you will find lots of detailed / selectable products (author/title lists, media information etc.) to click at and get in touch with us.

Once again, prices depends on usage requirements and quantities of titles.

Comment:

Most of these eBooks titles (including Electronic Bibliographic records in International digital University Library Standards) are in German Language. This  includes also texts in our WEBsite here. We leave such texts and information in its original German Language which is International Standard.

Notes:

* Information in these Websites is subject to change at any time and without prior notice

** “title” means “bibliographic unit”; this means one title contains at least the content from one ‘physical’ old volume / book etc. However, depending on the original printed work, “title” could also contain more contents of two or more ‘physical’ old books, journals and/or magazines.

Bibliographic notes (see text above):

(1) upon request Bibliographic description is available from us 

(2) upon request Bibliographic description is available from us 

Last update: 1 August 2026