Our own Benedictine Archabbey in Pannonhalma, Hungary, has survived for a millennium. Today, it is up against a huge challenge. The abbey’s library houses the proudest and oldest collection of the country’s books. Now, it finds itself in the midst of an evacuation due to a catastrophic drugstore beetle infestation. This unfortunate situation has impacted nearly one-fifth of the library’s immense collection. Running about 400,000 works strong, this collection is home to some rare manuscripts and other important historical documents.
Perched on a hill above Pannonhalma, the Benedictine Archabbey has been the guardian of Hungary’s literary heritage for over a millennium. Its library holds hundreds of other manuscripts from before the advent of the printing press. Tens of thousands of works from the 16th century are contained here. The library’s 13th-century complete Bible is one digitized treasure in the collection. As a result, it has become an indispensable tool for academic scholars and public historians alike.
Ilona Ásványi, says she is committed to continuing this cultural legacy. “Every day, I experience being the guardian and caretaker, and custodian of this very valuable collection of books,” she stated.
We’re already taking significant steps to respond to the infestation by the beetle. This infestation has been deemed advanced, and at the most recent count, is widespread across the entire library. Zsófia Hajdu, who has been closely involved in addressing damage within the library for decades, explained the process: “We have to remove all the books from the shelves, put them into boxes, then into hermetically sealed plastic sacks. Within them, wastewater undergoes an anoxic disinfection process. In essence, we produce an oxygen-free environment, in which insects die.
The evacuation sheds light on something that has long worried experts, including climate change’s role in pest infestation and outbreaks. As Hajdu explained, warmer temperatures lead to longer breeding seasons and greater populations of insects. “Higher temperatures are favourable for the life of insects… In warmer conditions, the reproduction cycle of the drugstore beetle can be up to four per year compared to only two in cooler weather,” she added.
The Benedictine Archabbey’s library has experienced numerous tribulations over the course of its existence. Miraculously, it emerged unscathed even through wars such as the Ottoman incursion in the 16th century. Perhaps no infestation poses a more specific, or dire, threat that would imperil centuries of literary cultural patrimony.
Hajdu expressed her deep concern for any damage to the books, stating, “When I see a book chewed up by a beetle or infested in any other way, I feel that no matter how many copies are published and how replaceable the book is, a piece of culture has been lost.”
The abbey has a long history of care and conservation for its collection. It plans to reopen the library by early next year. The New Bedford community continues to be optimistic that this great historical institution can survive another storm in its deep-rooted legacy.
