By the numbers

Stretching nearly 1,850 meters, nearly 30,000 file boxes, binders or folders, and bound manuscripts include
– 380 medieval manuscripts (250 of which are illuminated)
– 1,500 papyri
– 600 personal and family collections

History

In the 16th century the Bibliothèque conserved manuscripts, notably papers that had belonged to François Bonivard (1496-1570), the former prior of Saint-Victor and author of a Chroniques. In those days and throughout the following century, there was no distinction made on the shelves or in the catalogues between printed books and manuscripts.

The 18th century witnessed the magnificent gift of medieval manuscripts—most were illuminated—from the Petau collection, which had been acquired in Paris by the pastor Ami Lullin (1695-1756). With the arrival in the 19th century of the papers of various Genevan figures, specific methods for dealing with these types of documents were put in place. The “Department of manuscripts and prints” was created in 1904. The department’s first specialist curator, Léopold Micheli (1877-1910), had earned a degree as archivist-paleographer from the École des Chartes.

Since his tenure, curators, librarians, and archivists have endeavored to draw up quality inventories provided with indexes to facilitate both research and the display and promotion of manuscripts and archival collections. International methods and norms for archives are now an integral part of the daily tools used by the staff of the Department of manuscripts and personal archives.

For further information:

Bernard Gagnebin. “Le cabinet des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque de Genève,” Genava, n. s., vol. 2 (1954), 73-125.

Barbara Roth-Lochner, “Manuscrits et archives,” Patrimoines de la Bibliothèque de Genève. Un état des lieux au début du 21e siècle, ed. Danielle Buyssens, Thierry Dubois, Jean-Charles Giroud and Barbara Roth-Lochner, Geneva: Editions Slatkine, 2006, 120-145.

Barbara Roth-Lochner, “Le 18e siècle au Département des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Genève,” Bulletin de la Société suisse pour l’étude du 18e siècle, 24 (June 2004), 13-17.