Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
ABBOT TO DELIVER
NOTED BIBLE HERE
900 Gutenberg Edition
to Be Put in Library of
Congress in September.

The abbot of the Benedictine MonaS-
terry of st. Paul, in Carinthia, is expected
to come to Washington early in Septem-
Der TO deliver formally the vellum copy
of the Gutenberg Bible just purchased
by the Government from DR.. Otto F.
H. Vollbehr for the Library of Congress.
This Bible, valued Conservatory at
81 SOC, 900, has been continuously in the
possession of this Benedictine COM
munity for more than 400 years. It was
purchased by the monks when they were
located in Paris from Johann Fust, or
Faust, the magician. who had been
Gutenberg'S partner in this first print
as part of his share when the firm
split up.
1t was one of the three Bibles printed
by Gutenberg and Faust on vellum.
After the breakup of the firm Faust
whose alleged sale of his soul to the
devil has become one of the classical
legends Of literature-wandered over
Europe selling his Bibles, driving hard
bargains wherever he could, and gain
ing generally bad reputation.
Rated Printing Black Art.
This practitioner of the black art
it was really the art of printing-ap-
parently was somewhat of a charlatan.
He represented his product to the Bene-
dictine community as a manuscript.
They probably had never heard of
printing. He thought he was putting
over a clever fraud. It was fortunate
for the peace of Faust's mind that he
could not see into the future for four
centuries, when his fraudulent manu-
script would be by far the most val
liable book in the world because of
merit which neither he nor the monks
realized.
DR.. Vollbehr. who has practically
completed the transfer of the rest Of
his incunabula to the Library of Con-
gress, is leaving for Europe next
Thursday. He will go at once to the
monastery where the Bible has been
left since he purchased it four years
ago. There, with a ceremony which
has been arranged, the head of the
community will transfer possession of
the Bible to him and then he and the
abbot will set out with it for America.
He plans to have the abbot accompany
him, dressed in the medieval monastic
robes of his order, to preserve the
medieval atmosphere at the ceremony
here in September when the precious
volume is handed over formally to
Herbert Putnam, librarian of Congress.
Shipment Came Friday.
The rest Of DR.. Vollbehr's collection
of incunabula, or books printed in
Europe in the fifteenth century Just
after the invention of printing, arrived
in Washington Friday from New York,
where they have been in storage. The
truck, insured for 100000, came
over the road with armed guards. Even
without the Bible and the more valu-
able books and manuscripts which DR..
Vollbehr always has. kept with him in
Washington, 1t was by far the most
valuable book shipment ever made in
America.
Having finally disposed of the coll
lection, the gathering of which has
been his life work, the German scholar,
who practically made a gift of $780,
600 to the United States Government.
said yesterday that he considered the
purchase visible symbol of 1.-THE COM
ing OF renaissance Of learning in
America"
When he first came to the United
States with his collection to attend the
Eucharlstlc Congress in Chicago three
years ago, at the invitation of Cardinal
Mundelein, DR.. Vollbehr saw many in
dlcations OF growing spirit which re-
minded him of that of Europe in the
nfteenth century, but it was struggling
Tor expression. Now, he believes, the
new renaissance is fully launched, and
that his books will mark only the be-
ginning OF the official recognition of
this great movement,
Many Send Thanks.
DR.. Vollbehr and his official sponsor,
representative Collins of Mississippi,
have received food of grateful mes
sages from colleges, learned societies,
Libraries and individual scholars during
the past few days. It is planned to
turn these over to the Library of
Congress as part of the collection. The
books, which will be kept together as
the Vollbehr collection, now are be-
ing unpacked, checked and catalogued.
The Bible, DR.. Vollbehr said yester-
day, never really has been out of the
possession of the monks and when the
abbot brings it to Washington it will
be almost direct transfer through a
single intermediary from the hands of
Faust himself. It is the single most
valuable book in the world, which, torn
apart and sold leaf by leaf, would have
brought easily at least double what
the Government is paying for the
entire collection.