University Dispute Theses in the NL
Ten years ago, on 25 May 2011, the Prague collection of 526 prints of university dispute theses kept in the National Library of the CR was included in the UNESCO´s Memory of the World Register.
Online presentation I - Online presentation II
The Prague NL´s series of 526 prints of university dispute theses is the largest collection of this kind in the world. All its items are related to the one and only institution: the Faculty of Arts of Prague University. Up to the present, the collection has been preserved in the place of its origin, i.e. in the Klementinum, a historical building of the former Prague Jesuit College, where is now headquartered the National Library of the CR. The collection originated between 1637 and 1754, covering the height of use of universities dispute theses at universities. Thanks to its span, the collection maps a gradual change of form of printed dispute theses almost without interruption, being thus considered a certain chronicle of Baroque iconography. This series of immense cultural-historical and artistic-historical value is an important source of knowledge of the content of philosophical studies at universities, closely related to the Jesuit Order. It also enables to extend our idea of period university ceremonies.
The collection 526 prints of university dispute theses belongs to the most precious series kept in the National Library of the CR. At the time of its inclusion on the UNESCO´s Memory of the World list, it became the third documentary heritage item from the Czech Republic, all three being kept in the National Library of the CR.
