Konfigurationen einer Bibliothek

Abstract

Abstract The article traces the idea of provenance and its changing relevance for collecting policies governing the Herzog August Library Wolfenbüttel (HAB) since its foundation as a universal library in the 17th century. Today, systematic provenance research allows librarians and researchers not only to map layers of the collection’s origins but also to reconstruct the broken, intersected structures of a given collection’s historical delivery. It also reveals the value of books as sources for research into reading practices, cultural history, and the multiple transfers of knowledge in early modern times.