ELISABETH ERNESTINE ANTONIE OF SACHSEN-MEININGEN (1681-1766) AND THE GANDERSHEIM ABBEY LIBRARY

This essay discusses the library of Gandersheim Abbey in Lower Saxony, Germany, and the important role played by the Abbess Elisabeth Ernestine Antonie von Sachsen-Meiningen (1681-1766) in its later history. In office for many years, Elisabeth Ernestine Antonie contributed actively to its development by soliciting donations, by re-establishing the library and laying out statutes for its use, and in her efforts to make it a useful tool for the abbey’s residents. The priority she placed on improving the library collection demonstrates its value in the life of the abbey as well as the role of books and written texts for the community of women at Gandersheim.