Above the hush of Prague, where Petřín Hill gathers the city in monastic calm, the Strahov Monastery guards a treasure beyond architecture — a library that breathes with the pulse of centuries. Within its Baroque halls, where vaulted ceilings rise above gilded walnut that glows in softened light, a legacy endures — one in which faith and scholarship have carried wisdom through every age of history.

The Man Behind the Manuscripts

Presiding over this legacy is Mgr. et Mgr. Dr. H. E. Evermod Gejza Šidlovský, Norbertine friar, archivist, and quiet guardian of one of Europe’s most valuable intellectual collections. Overseeing a collection of nearly 300,000 volumes, Dr. Šidlovský spends his days surrounded by the scent of parchment and the soft rustle of paper, in a world where time itself seems bound between covers.

“Every manuscript is valuable, since each one is unique and exists only in a single copy,” he reflects — words that capture the spirit in which the library endures. To Dr. Šidlovský, the conservation of the Strahov Library is not confined to the technical sphere; it is a spiritual responsibility, a daily act of devotion that keeps centuries of human thought alive. Under his leadership, the monastery has entered a modern age, where the treasures of the past are digitised, catalogued, and shared with the world.

From Candlelight to the Digital Age

Since 2001, the Strahov Library has worked in partnership with the National Library of the Czech Republic on a major digitisation project under the VISK 6 programme. Thousands of manuscripts, incunabula, and early prints have been meticulously scanned and made accessible through the Manuscriptorum platform, allowing scholars from Prague to Paris — and far beyond — to study works that once revealed their secrets only by candlelight.

Yet unlike many institutions where technology replaces tradition, at Strahov the two coexist in quiet harmony. The friars still dust and restore bindings by hand; temperature and humidity are monitored daily, and the stillness of the halls remains untouched. Fragile treasures — among them the 9th-century Strahov Gospel and the 1410 Strahov Urbarium — emerge only rarely from their vaults, their brief appearances regarded almost as ceremonial occasions.

A Quiet Dialogue of Faith and Power

Strahov’s guest book, maintained since 1791, reads like a record of world diplomacy. Across its pages unfold the signatures of emperors, kings, presidents, and scientists — from Lord Nelson and Marie Louise to Thomas A. Edison, Enrico Fermi, Salman Rushdie, and the Dalai Lama. Each signature stands as a bridge across centuries, linking Strahov’s quiet devotion with the world beyond its walls.

Many of these visitors have left tokens of gratitude: a rosewood Christ from India’s president, a hammered metal bowl from Cambodia, a Bible inlaid with mother-of-pearl from Jordan’s king, a set of ten rare books from the daughter of the Austrian Emperor. Together they form a quiet gallery of gestures, perfectly reflecting the principles of diplomatic gift-giving: symbolic, thoughtful, and respectful.

As Dr. Šidlovský observes, “A gift may fade, but its meaning — recognition and gratitude — remains inscribed in our walls.”

Knowledge Against Time

Though millions now explore Strahov’s holdings online, scholars still journey from across the world to its quiet reading room, where monks personally deliver the requested volumes.

For centuries, Strahov’s shelves have carried more than books; they have carried a tradition of learning. Generations of Premonstratensian scholars once lectured at Charles University, served as abbots and rectors, and left their traces in careful annotations that still whisper from the margins.

Here, Europe’s intellectual DNA becomes tangible: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek; theology and mathematics; mysticism and physics — all coexisting in disciplined harmony. In an age defined by fleeting data, Strahov’s quiet custodianship feels almost radical: an act of resistance against forgetting.

The Library as Living Embassy

Today, Strahov functions as more than a monument to knowledge; it has become a cultural ambassador in its own right. State visits organised by the Czech Presidency and foreign embassies often include a stop beneath its painted ceilings, where scholarship, spirituality, and diplomacy intersect.

Within these halls, conversations unfold not through negotiation but through the universal language of culture and understanding.

As the day fades, the books wait in quiet patience. The Strahov Library remains awake — a witness to centuries in conversation, where the dialogue between faith, knowledge, and the world beyond its walls endures. |

The magic of the Strahov library

Evermod Gejza Šidlovský is a Norbertine (Premonstratensian) friar serving at the Strahov Monastery in Prague. At the Strahov Library, he holds the position of librarian and archivist, overseeing the collections of manuscripts and early printed books. He also serves as editor of the scholarly journal Bibliotheca Strahoviensis.

His scholarly work focuses on the history of the Strahov Monastery and its library, archives, and art collections. Among his notable publications are The Strahov Monastery (2008) — a comprehensive text on the monastery, its library, and picture gallery — The Reliquary of St. Maurus: Iconography (2009), and The World of Liturgy: A Dictionary of Basic Church Terminology (1991).

He specializes in sacred history, the history of monastic libraries, historical prints and manuscripts, and liturgy. Through his position, he has direct access to the most valuable collections of the Strahov Monastery, and his research and publications contribute significantly to the preservation, scholarly interpretation, and public appreciation of the monastery’s rich cultural heritage.

DIPLOMATIC HERALD: It is said that the library’s guest book includes entries from emperors, politicians, and even presidents. Could you mention some notable visits or memorable moments?

EVERMOD GEJZA ŠIDLOVSKÝ: The visitor books have been kept since 1791, so there have truly been countless visits — emperors, kings, scientists, presidents, and politicians. Emperor Francis I of Austria, his daughter Marie Louise, Empress of France; Emperor Ferdinand V of Austria; Emperor Franz Joseph I; kings from Denmark, Belgium, and Cambodia; presidents from China, Russia, India, Germany, Austria, and many others. Also Lord and Lady Hamilton with Admiral Nelson, Thomas Alva Edison, the Dalai Lama, Enrico Fermi, Salman Rushdie, Dan Brown — and we could go on for quite a while.

DH: How are such high-profile visits organized? Do foreign dignitaries usually request them themselves, or are they invited by the Czech state during diplomatic occasions?

EGŠ: Visits are either organized by the Office of the President of the Republic in cooperation with the respective embassy, or directly by the embassy, the government protocol department, or the Ministry.

DH: Has Strahov received any significant book donations or contributions from political figures or visitors in modern times (similar to the gift from Marie Louise in the 19th century)?

EGŠ: Many visitors bring a gift, though not all. Marie Louise left a coffee set stored in a case shaped like a book, and later sent ten rare books as a token of gratitude. An Indian president presented a statue of Jesus Christ carved from rosewood; the King of Cambodia, a hammered metal bowl; the current King of Jordan, a Bible in a mother-of-pearl inlaid binding and case; the German president, a coffee cup; and so on.

DH: Which book or manuscript in the collection is the very oldest, and what makes it exceptional? Are there works of special diplomatic importance — for example, treaties, correspondence, or books gifted by foreign statesmen?

EGŠ: Among the oldest items is the so-called Strahov Gospel, dating from the 9th century. It is a precious monument of medieval literature and manuscript illumination. Materials of a diplomatic nature are kept mainly in the archive rather than in the library.

DH: Which objects are considered so rare or fragile that they are almost never exhibited?

EGŠ: All objects from the collections are exhibited occasionally, but due to their rarity and fragility, only for short periods, with long intervals between displays. These include manuscripts, incunabula, maps, and prints. Sometimes only facsimiles are exhibited.

DH: What are the most valuable and oldest manuscripts or prints preserved in the Strahov Library? Does “oldest” necessarily mean “most valuable”?

EGŠ: Every manuscript is valuable, since each one is unique and exists only in a single copy. With incunabula it is slightly different — there are usually several surviving copies, but their importance also depends on annotations, provenance, and condition.

DH: How are rare books cared for and restored? Does this require daily attention?

EGŠ: The foundation of preservation is maintaining proper temperature and humidity. Naturally, the books must be cleaned of dust, and the rooms housing the collections are kept clean on a daily basis.

DH: Are you digitizing your collections, and do you plan to make more materials available online?

EGŠ: Since 2001, we have been cooperating with the National Library of the Czech Republic on digitization with support from the Ministry of Culture, within the VISK 6 program. All digitized manuscripts and prints are available online on the Strahov Library website or on the Manuscriptorium platform.

DH: Are there unique documents or charters from the time of the monastery’s founding (the 12th century)?

EGŠ: Documentary materials are kept in the archive, not in the library — and that would be a long story. Of course, many medieval documents were lost or destroyed during the Hussite wars. One of the oldest surviving books is the Strahov Urbarium from 1410.

DH: How often do researchers use the library, and from which fields do they most often come? Can the public view selected books?

EGŠ: The library has its own study room, available to all who wish to research our collections. A researcher (student or scholar) orders a book from the catalog, and if it is not digitized, it is provided for study in the reading room. Digitized materials can be studied from the comfort of home.

DH: Which notable figures (scholars, abbots, writers) are most closely connected with Strahov?

EGŠ: The list would be long, as many members of the monastery served as professors at Charles University, deans of various faculties, or even rectors. Others were writers, ethnographers, or visual artists. Some names include Evermod Košetický, Jeroným Zeidler, Hugo Seykora, and Ladislav Jandera.

DH: How strong is the interest of foreign visitors in the library?

EGŠ: It is quite considerable — not only from tourists but also from researchers. Scholars come from all over the world to study, and students also visit as part of internships.