Fryderyk Rozen

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw

Manuscript Notes in the Early Printed Books as Egodocuments

This presentation aims to analyse handwritten inscriptions in early printed books from 15th and 16th centuries as egodocuments, using selected notes from various historical collections as primary sources. The books examined in the study represented different former libraries of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Provenance research offers extensive information about copies of books containing manuscript annotations. Knowledge about the authors or the context in which these notes were written provides a valuable background for in-depth analysis of these texts.

The concept of egodocuments supports the development of research on handwritten notes and marginalia in books, which, when viewed as egodocuments, enable us to understand various aspects of their authors’ inner world. Such insights carry significance for historians in revealing the perspectives of individuals and deepening our understanding of the human inner reality of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth age.

The handwritten notes reveal the owners’ perspectives on books as valuable items (e.g., notes about the price, ownership inscriptions, and warnings to potential thieves). They shed light on interpersonal relationships and personal identity (e.g., dedications). Comments on the text provide further insight into the reader’s attitude toward the book’s content itself. Collectively, these annotations expand the scope of sources that can be studied as egodocuments.