The world’s largest monastic library at the Benedictine Abbey of Admont in Styria, Austria, has decided to go online after it had to close because of the coronavirus.
They will be able to see a high-quality, three-dimensional representation of the entire, world-famous library with the help of virtual reality glasses. New software has even made it possible for virtual visitors to turn the pages of books and browse through them, wander through the magnificent Baroque library hall and download photos and texts.
The digital guide through the library with its 200,000 volumes is available in several languages.
Admont library, with its masterly sculptures, reliefs and frescoes, was completed in 1776 and was for a long time seen as the eighth wonder of the world. Its most valuable possessions are the more than 1400 eighth-century manuscripts and the 530 incunabula, that is books, pamphlets or broadsheets printed in Europe before 1501.
Meanwhile the Dominican sisters at Bad Wörishofen in Bavaria, known for the water-cure developed by the Catholic priest Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897), have given their huge store of toilet paper to a food bank.
The sisters acquired their store of toilet paper, which is in such demand at the moment because of the coronavirus, in the 1970s, the prioress, Sr Franziska Brenner, told katholisch.de. “When taking down an order back in the 70s, a supplier noted one zero too many and so we had two pallets of toilet paper in the attic with a four figure number of toilet rolls in each.” In addition, they still had a large store of toilet paper left over from when they gave up their sanatorium 15 years ago, she said.
When she had read about the sudden lack of toilet paper due to panic-buying, it had suddenly occurred to her how seriously the lack of toilet paper and above all the sudden rise in price for it must affect the poor and the needy. She and her fellow sisters had therefore decided to take their huge store to a food bank. “At first I was a little embarrassed as our toilet paper – despite the fact that it’s still in its original packing – is old and somewhat grey and only two-layered. But the food bank was very pleased indeed to get it.”
Sr Franziska appealed to panic buyers to practise restraint. “It’s sad to see people think only of themselves at a time when solidarity is called for. That is why many people – especially those who are weak and needy – then have to go short. That is quite unnecessary as there is plenty to go round.”
Full attribution of photo as required © Jorge Royan http://www.royan.com.ar, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Loading ...
