The Jena Codex is a 16th century Czech manuscript. Created circa the year 1500, the Late Medieval manuscript primarily depicts theological scenes; notably, the codex compares the teachings of the Catholic church to those of John Hus, progenitor of the Hussite movement.

History

edit

Background

edit

The Jena Codex was created at the turn of the 14th to 15th century in Bohemia. The various pages making up the codex were created by a group of artisans, rather than by a single individual. In the mid 16th century, the codex was transported to Germany under unknown circumstances. In Germany, the codex came into the possession of a university in the city of Jena, where it remained for centuries. During the 19th century, research by several Czech scholars renewed interest in the codex, which was seen as a valuable part of the Czech people's heritage. In 1951, the codex was returned to Czechoslovakia by the East German government.[1]

Present condition

edit

Centuries of handling, storage, and botched repairs left the Jena codex in poor condition; photography and filming of the codex during the 1950s caused the work to deteriorate further. As a result, the manuscript was restored during the 1980s.[1]

Description

edit


References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Top items – the Jena Codex". Muzeum 3000. Retrieved 2019-05-06.