A significant medieval library, containing manuscripts and early printed books, has been discovered in the Ropemakers' Tower of St. Margaret's Church in Mediaș, Romania. The find, dating from the 9th to 16th centuries, offers insights into the intellectual and cultural life of the Transylvanian Saxons.
Researchers led by Professor Adinel C. Dincă from Babeș-Bolyai University uncovered the collection. It includes approximately 139 printed books (1470-1600), two 16th-century manuscripts, and around 60 original documents from the 14th-16th centuries. Fragments of manuscripts dating back to the 9th century were also identified within administrative registers.
The discovery, likened to an "Indiana Jones" story, highlights the importance of St. Margaret's Church as a center of intellectual activity. The ongoing research project, funded by Germany's Ministry for Culture and Media, aims to preserve, digitally reconstruct, and analyze the collection. This find promises to enrich our understanding of medieval literacy and the circulation of ideas in Transylvania.