Buddha in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
From 27th January to 20 March 2005, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek will display precious and rare items from the rich holdings of its Oriental and Eastern Asian collections in the exhibition "The words of the Buddha in the languages of the world" ("Die Worte des Buddha in den Sprachen der Welt"). The sacred writings of Buddhism, the so-called Tripitaka, are placed in the centre of the exhibition. Never before have these works been shown in comparable scope and in so many diverse Asian languages and scripts.
Among the highlights of the exhibition are a Tibetan cloth leporello with the text embroidered in silk, a magnificent Japanese scroll of the 12th century written in gold on paper dyed with indigo, a "Secret Autobiography" of the 5th Dalai Lama, a Burmese manuscript with ivory covers and texts inscribed on silver and gold leaves also from Burma. One of the oldest printed items world-wide comes from Japan. In the 8th century, empress Shotoku had a short text printed onto a million paper scrolls and had each of them inserted in a wooden pagoda. Only a few of them have survived. The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek owns one of these pagodas; it will be on show in the exhibition.
Some editions of the Tripitaka entered the library on adventurous routes. In 1982, copies of the Tibetan version of the sacred writings and commentaries were made in the Derge monastery in Eastern Tibet and from there transported by lorry to Kathmandu, where they stayed for several years before they could finally be sent to Munich. Many items could only be obtained through personal contacts among the local population - the normal book trade could not procure them.
The importance of the Buddhist collection as part of the Oriental and Eastern Asian department of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek is partly the result of nineteenth-century acquisitions. Today, c. 16.000 manuscripts and nearly 500.000 printed items from all regions of Asia form part of the library's Oriental and Eastern Asian holdings.
http://www.bsb-muenchen.de/english/buddha_e.htm
Place of exhibition
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Fürstensaal
Ludwigstr. 16
D-80539 München
Germany
Admission free
Opening hours
Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Closed on 8th February 2005
Guided tours (at a charge of EUR 3,00 per person)
Please register under tel.: 089-28638-2256
(For individual visitors every Thursday at 5 p.m., for groups on request)
Publication
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue in German and English comprising c. 190 pages and numerous colour illustrations for the price of 15,00 EUR.
Catalogues can be ordered from
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or via
https://www.bsb-muenchen.de/verwaltg/publbest.htm
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Contact
for enquiries regarding content
Dr. Günter Grönbold,
Tel.: 089-28638-2367, [log in to unmask]
Public relations
Dr. Manfred Hank,
Tel.: 089/28638-2244, [log in to unmask]
Peter Schnitzlein,
Tel.: 089-28638-2429, [log in to unmask]
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