"Biblioteca Medievală" Collection

Editura Polirom

“The Medieval Library” Collection belonging to Polirom Publishing House in Iaşi was born in 2003, following an idea that focuses on the foundations of the Romanian culture, but also on a specific method to perceive the Middle Ages. This idea, at first, consisted of the fact that a culture shaped in the modern era can understand its orientation and its limits only if it integrates the sources of the modernity it was born in, and that, consequently, these sources deserve to be systematically translated and published in Romanian. Because these sourses refer to the European Middle Ages particularly understood as a reunion of Latin, Arab, Greek and Hebrew component, “The Medieval Library” represents the assembly of competences pertaining to each of these study branches.

During 17 years of activity, the 43 published volumes illustrated this idea and enriched it. Progressively, the intention to provide the extended researcher public with original texts of princeps editions translated in Romanian was also added to the objective of offering the Romanian reader the fundamental texts of medieval culture in bilingual editions. The latter objective is illustrated by authors like Boethius, Duns Scotus, Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, and Abelard. The first comprises authors like Hugh of Saint Victor, Avicenna, Godescalc of Nepomuk and others. The volumes reunited exegetes and translators – prestigious or in advanced professional training – whose brief profiles end the presentations of each volume in the collection’s catalogue. Therefore, The Medieval Library is a concept, an effort and, simultaneously, a school of medieval studies.

The collection has a scientific board whose main role is the selection of texts, the formulation of future strategies and the manuscript expertise. The board’s members are: Anca Vasiliu (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris), Ioana Munteanu (University of Bucharest), Anca Crivăţ (University of Bucharest), Monica Brînzei (IRHT, Paris), Bogdan Tătaru-Cazaban (The Institute for the History of Religions, The Romanian Academy, Bucharest), Mihai Maga (Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca), Alexandru-Florin Platon (“Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Iaşi), George Grigore (University of Bucharest), Eugen Munteanu (“Al. Philippide” Institute of the Romanian Academy, Iaşi) şi Alexander Baumgarten (Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca).

The scientific board is open to any written suggestion regarding bilingual editions of texts that had an impact on medieval culture in any of its domains. Following a specific standard depending on the published or unpublished nature of the text, the suggestion is expected at the editorial office of Polirom.