2024-04-25
This week in our stolen/recovered series, we will look at the question of a unique book created in the first half of the 12th century - the Płock Bible. How did it go missing, and how did it find its way back to Poland?
It is safe to say that the Płock Bible is one of the most valuable manuscripts in Polish collections. It was written by western scribes and beautifully illuminated in Płock. Interestingly, it contains the oldest description of miracles on Polish territory. According to the record, they took place in the middle of the 12th century and concerned the miraculous healing of a girl called Woyncha and saving relics.
The Bible is thought to have appeared in Płock through Bishop Alexander of Malonne, the founder of the famous bronze doors of Płock (the second most famous after those of Gniezno) and the initiator of the construction of the Romanesque cathedral on Castle Hill in Płock.
In 1941 the Płock Bible was taken to Königsberg by the Nazis. German newspapers did not hide the fact of the plunder, what is more, they proudly reported about it in August 1941. At the end of March 1945, due to the impossibility of defending Königsberg, a decision was made to evacuate the Albrecht University, whose collection contained the Polish work. Finally, after many months of wandering, the manuscript found its way to the University of Göttingen. It was not until 1957 that the rector of the university proposed an exchange - the Polish work - for objects seized by Poles in the former German lands. Finally, after long efforts of the Polish side, on condition of returning the Bible to the church side (political issues were very important at that time) in September 1978, it returned to the Polish church collection. This would not have been possible without the surprising goodwill of the next rector of the university, Professor Beuga, who personally delivered the manuscript to the Polish side.
Interestingly, one of the main members of the commission that oversaw the export of the work to Königsberg in 1941, still fifteen years after the looting of the work, believed that he had actually saved it then. Was this really the case? Would German soldiers have burned the Płock Bible otherwise?