Libraries in Carniola in the 16th Century

Abstract

In the 16th century in Slovenia under the influence of the Revival of Learning and the Protestantism and because of the greater need for studied people (officials) the attitude to education evidently changed. The citizens and noblemen began to buy and collect more books. Especially in the second half of the century the protestants and the catholics founded numerous private libraries, whose extent we can find out according to the kept sources and the books themselves. At first explicitely religiously oriented private libraries developed till the end of the century into book collections, meant more for education and relaxation. Of the relatively rich fund of the books of that time very few have been kept until nowadays: the age of counter-reformation radically swept away the »heretical« books.