Librarium Mauritanum

Müürivahe 33, 10140 Tallinn, Estonia
E- mail: info.mauritanum@mail.ee
 

Librarium Mauritanum — the oldest library in Estonia

The first library in Estonia was established in 1246 in Tallinn by the Dominicans. It was situated in the eastern wing of the Dominican Monastery. The objective of the library was to satisfy the literature needs of local friars and a school which had been founded by the monastery. As a disciple of St. Albertus Magnus, Lecturer Mauritius played an important role in establishing new and much stricter standards of teaching in educating local Dominicans. Under his instructions, both the school and the library achieved a considerable standard. Many original documents preserved from the library are now kept in the Tallinn City Archive and the incunabula department of the National Library of Estonia. The library worked in the rooms of the monastery until the beginning of the Reformation, whereafter the monastery lost its natural function and its premises found use as a military and construction warehouse. During the Soviet period, the rooms of the library accommodated a vegetable store of the restaurant "Euroopa" and, after renovations carried out at the monastery in the 1960s, the depository of historical ashlars of the Tallinn City Museum.

In 1998, the Mauritian Institute was visited by Mr. Frederico Mayor, the Director General of UNESCO, who donated a lot of valuable literature from the part of UNESCO. The library was also rapidly supplemented by personal depositions, projects and donations. The greatest gift (4500 books) came for the theology section of the library from the Seitenstetten Benedictine Abbey in Austria. It was decided that a part of that delivery be re-donated to the Faculty of Theology of the University of Tartu and the Brigittine Convent of Pirita. In 1999, a partnership and cooperation agreement with the Estonian National Library was concluded. In 2004, Wim A. de Pater, Professor Emeritus of the University of Leuven, donated an outstanding collection of 500 books on Scholastic thought to the Librarium Mauritanum.

Using the Library

Librarium Mauritanum is a private library, established for the benefit of professional philosophers. All the fellows of the Institute, have the right to use the library, as well as the partners of the Librarium Mauritanum, according to the procedures specified in the contracts. To apply for a special permit, send an e-mail to the head of the library: info.mauritanum@mail.ee

Location of Books

The Old Library on the first floor contains mostly theological literature.

In the Prior's Room, an outstanding collection of Scholastic thought and its sources is situated:

• General introductions to philosophy
• Ancient philosophy
• A special collection of Aristotle
• Medieval Scholastic philosophy
• Neothomism and Neoscholasticism
• 20th century analytical philosophy
• Philosophy of religion
• Analytical philosophy of language
• Logic and argumentation
• Philosophy of science

The Old Dormitory contains the UNESCO collection of art history.

Special Collections

Professor Wim A. de Pater collection – A collection containing about 500 German books on Scholastic and Neoscholastic philosophy. donated to the Institute by Wim A. de Pater, Professor Emeritus of the University of Leuven.

UNESCO collection – Art books and digital materials donated to the Institute by UNESCO.

Seitenstetten collection – A collection on Scholasticism and Neoscholasticism, donated to the Institute by Seitenstetten Benedictine Abbey.

Old (pre-1500) manuscripts – A collection of pre-Reformation books and manuscripts from the Monastery is held in the National Library of Estonia.