Opening the Case: The Giant Bible of Mainz at the Library of Congress
Register Here!
On National German-American Friendship Day, October 6, 2022 from 11:00am-12:30pm EST, the Library of Congress will be hosting an online event: Opening the Case: The Giant Bible of Mainz at the Library of Congress. This virtual event celebrating the Giant Bible of Mainz will present new research about the context and significance of one of the Library’s great treasures.
Given to the Library of Congress by philanthropist and bibliophile Lessing J. Rosenwald in 1952 as a part of the Rosenwald Collection, the Giant Bible of Mainz has captured the imagination of scholars and visitors to the Library for more than half a century. Now, through digitization, a new level of public access has been achieved. In keeping with Rosenwald’s commitment to encouraging broad cultural engagement with the history of the illustrated book, these images allow anyone interested in medieval manuscripts to encounter each and every page of this singular codex.
One of the great illuminated manuscripts, the Giant Bible of Mainz represents an amazing moment of transition within the history of European book production. A magnificent Middle-Rhenish manuscript copied between April 1452 and July 1453, the Giant Bible was written at the same time as Johann Gutenberg was printing his famous bible using moveable metal type. Join us on October 6th, 2022 to learn more about this fascinating moment in book history!
In honor of this event, RBSCD will provide an evening public viewing of the Giant Bible in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress. This viewing will take place on October 6, 2022 from 5:00pm-7:00pm EST. This in-person viewing is free, but tickets are required. You can reserve a ticket at Live! at The Library: The Giant Bible of Mainz or on the Library’s Events Page.
For more information about this event, contact Marianna Stell at marstell@loc.gov.
Learn More about the Giant Bible at the Links Below:
Giant Bible of Mainz Story Map: https://www.loc.gov/ghe/cascade/index.html?appid=968ad639b1534674925b785bf5ac8dae
Giant Bible of Mainz Video:https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-10427
Rosenwald Collection featuring the Giant Bible of Mainz: https://www.loc.gov/collections/lessing-j-rosenwald/about-this-collection
Giant Bible of Mainz digital link: https://www.loc.gov/item/52002226
