414 authors, 470,890 pages, sourced from old boooks (printed during 16th – 19th C.), new published in 913 eBooks

We described in our THEOLOGY page ‘why’ we consider our eBook collections with SPIRITUALITY  – over Centuries well preserved – as unique .

This includes also unique possibilities for research project regarding Mentality-Projects, in our case for researches in a “Verlorener Lebenswelt” (translated from us) with contents from nine Centuries.

Furthermore – and to the benefit of long-term archival reasons (Preservation) and being substitute media for a Libraries’ own existing ‘physical’ collections – our titles are also available as microfiches titles with full text pages, together with electronic Bibliographic Records for the Mf-titles.

Some works are in Latin Language, but most works were printed in German Language. Noteworthy is the large number of eBooks with original contents in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French Languages. However, Centuries ago, these books were quickly translated into German Language for their own original German publications which are new published by our eBooks. The original translation processes Centuries ago demonstrates the lively cultural exchange between the countries in Europe during the Baroque period.

So let’s continue with German Language content descriptions:

Die Klosterfrauen wurden lange Zeit von Patres des berühmten Benediktiner Klosters St. Emmeram zu Regensburg seelsorglich betreut. Benediktinische Spiritualität, in Ausrichtung auf katholische Frömmigkeit der Klosterfrau stand dabei im Vordergrund. – also, wie werde ich im optimalsten Sinne eins mit Gott, so lautete je Klosterfrau die individuelle Frage.

Daneben nimmt auch jesuitische Erbauungsliteratur einen breiten Raum in unseren Sammlungen ein und verdeutlicht, wie sehr Jesuiten die Frömmigkeit – auch jene anderer Orden – beherrschten.

Inwieweit sich damals die Klosterfrauen dieser oder jener Stroemung anschlossen wissen wir nicht. Oder, wie aehnlich war deren damaliges Streben (Gruppnzwang?) zu einer besseren Klosterfrau zu werden (im optimalsten Falle eins sein mit Jesus bzw. Gott) im Vergeich zur heutigen Hype zur Selbstverwirklichung?

Ja, dies ist eine schwieige Kost, das wissen wir. Aber wir denken und wissen auch, dass solche Fragestellungen interessant sind. Durch unsere eBooks koennte mand solches angehen zu untersuchen, nur so als vager Gedanke.

Die damalige Hinwendung ins Innere der Persoenlichkeit eines Menschen laesst uns erahnen, warum das Barock-Zeitalter jene kulturellen Leistungen hervorbrachte, welche wir heute staunend betrachten. Dies bewirkte auch, dass das 17. und fruehe 18. Jahrhundert das grosse religioese Zeitalter der Neuzeit ist. “In Deutschland wird noch heute die Kulfur des 17. untl fuehen 18.Jahrhunderts in ihrer Einheit unci Groesse gar nicht erkannt untl erfasst. Darstellungen des Barock verlieren sich gern in Klischees untl vorgefassten Meinungen. Man sagt, Barock flieht vor der Wirklichkeit…. [und] liebt die Illusion” (1).

Franzoesische, spanische und italienische Spiritualitaet des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts ist gut erforscht, im deutschen Sprachraum hingegen ist diesbezueglich wenig geschehen. Dass die Forschung in Deutschland spirituelle Literatur so vernachlaessigt (hat), liegt hauptsaechlich darin begruendet, dass diese Werke im Zuge der Saekularisation (1804) bewusst vernichtet wurden, was offenbar einen langen Nachhall in Deutschland erzeugt(e).

Dadurch sind heute diese Werke in den Bibliotheken – falls ueberhaupt – nur verstreut vorhanden, mehr oder weniger zufaellig und unvollstaendig.

Our understanding for the ‘Subject’ Spirituality lies within a Catholic-oriented approach, mentioned from Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle in the 16th / 17th Centuries.

Today Spirituality  means…im Zusammenhang mit einem monastischen Orden…darunter die innere geistliche Kraft, die die Gruender und ihre Nachfolger dazu bewogen hat, die bestimmte Lebensform zu waehlen und ueber Jahrhunderte hinweg die Treue zu halten. Sie umfasst das Wirken des [hl] Geistes in den einzelen Persoenlichkeiten wie in der Gemeinschaft“. (1)
Our translation:
Today Spirituality is also understood as a “…..connection within a monastic order…the inner spiritual force that moved the founders and their successors to choose a particular way of life and to remain faithful over Centuries. It includes the work of the [Holy] Spirit in individual persons as well as in the community”.

Eine kurze Autoren / Titel – Auswahl (Spirituality)

Der bedeutendste Autor des 17. ]ahrhunderts war zweifellos der hl. François [Frnnz] von Sales. Die Tugend der Devotio bedeutet dem hl. Sales staendig geneigt zu sein, das zu tun, was Gott wohlgefaellig ist. Wir haben 24 eBook-Titel von ihm neu publiziert.Seine Inspirationen erreichten ihn durch den Heiligen Augustinus.

Von Thomas von Aquin haben wir einem Titel als eBook neu publiziert.

Wir haben 14 Werke von Bernhard [von Clairvaux] Claraevallensi (Zisterzienserorden} neu als eBooks publiziert mit 3,000 Volltextseiten. Inklusive 12 eBooks – fuer jeden Monat des Jahres ein eBook.

Von Thomas (a Kempis) haben wir 25 Titel neu als eBooks publiziert.

For more writers and/or other options, please visit our SHOP > THEOLOGY-Products >> SPIRITUALITY tabs. 

The eBooks were produced with the text of the underlying old books as digitally enhanced facsimile pages, edited accordingly by the publisher, and republished. The original typography, layout, and type area, including any “typesetting errors” in the text, as well as any handwritten notes from the originals, were also republished and unchanged in the eBooks. Each eBook offers user-friendly access to individual texts, specific pages, sections, etc. via manual and electronic bookmarks, which are individually integrated in each work, as well as to an original table of content – if available.

The eBooks are available in various compilations. Regarding digital use by an institution, a license agreement is in place. This agreement defines, among other things, the electronic access options for authorized users in academic institutions (LAN, NETWORK, etc.).

Our eBooks demonstrate the value and character of a historic and closed Nuns’ Convent library and hereby publicly accessible.

Our unique eBook collections  can be described as a unique monument of Baroque Spirituality in German Speaking Countries.
Ascetic-Spiritual literature comprises a big portion in it, also known as ‘Erbauungsliteratur‘ (Google translation: ‘devotional Literature‘).

Spirituality: eBooks with contents (texts in German / drawings) from writers / artists 12th -19th Centuries, sourced from old ‘physical’ books (printed 16th – 19th Centuries), preserved in a unique Convent Library (not open to the public), located in a Baroque style Benedictine  Convent:
414 writers
913 eBooks
470,890 full text pages.

Additional quantitative data within our complete Theology collections are on clickable display in our SHOP behind the Tab THEOLOGY – Quantities.

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.)

You will find content data with access  Product via our SHOP > THEOLOGY-Products >> SPIRITUALITY tabs. Behind each of these four TAB -inquiry options you’ll will find many detailed / selectable ‘products’ to click at and get in touch with us or send us your wishes.

Comments:

Most of the Spirituality contents in these eBooks are in German Language, including Electronic Bibliographic records in International digital University Library Standards), sourced from the original printed works of the 16th – 19th Centuries. It includes also the names for our collections, sets, subsets etc. To leave texts in its original [German] Language is International Standard. In addition, Author’s names were also checked and our eBook titles were formally catalogued and ‘Subject’ catalogued  by the ‘Regensburger Systematik fuer Theologie’ .

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) Mikkers, Edmund, Die Spiritualitaet der Zisterzienser, Stuttgart, 1989 (Angaben koennen bei uns erfragt werden)
(1) Mikkers, Edmund, Die Spiritualitaet der Zisterzienser, Stuttgart, 1989
(Bibliographic data are available upon request)

Last update: 1 August 2026