Among the many writings on St. Elizabeth of Thuringia (1207–1231), this example held by the German Museum of Books and Writing stands out: it is a unique compendium consisting of a collection of texts on St. Elizabeth illustrated by a number of exquisite miniatures. The manuscript focuses on the hagiography of Landgravine Elizabeth of Thuringia, who was later canonised, and describes the stations of her life.

The manuscript was created in 1481 in the monastery of the Poor Clares in Freiburg im Breisgau. Particularly outstanding are the colourful miniatures by Sybilla von Bondorf, which depict scenes from the life of Elizabeth of Thuringia. The 14 vivid full-page images were painted on parchment and inserted into the paper manuscript. Sybilla von Bondorf is one of the few miniaturists of her time who is known by name – her style is unmistakable.

The scribe is also mentioned in the closing text: “schwester Elysabeth Schriberin oder Vögtin,” i.e. the Poor Clare nun Elisabeth Vogt. The text she created is noted for its careful, reader-friendly execution.

The description of St. Elizabeth’s life can be traced back to the medieval Latin original by Dietrich von Apolda, which was composed between 1289 and 1297. The composite manuscript contains a translation of the original into German – more precisely, into the Upper Rhenish written language, in which all the other texts in the manuscript were also composed. The other texts relate to the content of the legend and include prayers and descriptions of St. Elizabeth and her life and times.

The Elizabeth manuscript was catalogued and digitised at Leipzig University Library as part of the cooperative project “Medieval Manuscripts in Minor Collections in East Germany” presided over by the German Research Foundation DFG.

Bibliographic information and link to the digitization