📖 Between 21-25 July 2025, several members of our research team had the pleasure of participating in and contributing to the organization of the YRI Summer School “Turning a New Leaf. Unexplored Central-European Bookscapes (1500–1800)”, hosted by the Faculty of History and Philosophy at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.
This international programme brought together early-career researchers and established experts in the field of book history and print culture for a week of theoretical and practical training sessions. The summer school was coordinated by Adinel C. Dincă, RESTORY project leader and Working Group 4 (“Materialities”) leader within the COST Action CA23137 – “Print Culture and Public Spheres in Central Europe (1500–1800)”.
As part of the RESTORY project, our team presented their most recent work on the use of books in educational and religious contexts in early modern times. The contributions included:
🔹The Book Trade in the Medieval Transylvania – presented by Maria FRÎNC. Her paper explored a book trade dispute from early 16th-century Transylvania, using historical sources from Bistrița to shed light on book circulation, transport, and local trade practices. Maria’s research highlights the region’s cultural connections and opens paths for further analysis on the use of books in educational and religious contexts.
🔹Traces of Knowledge: Reading the Natural World in Early Modern Sighișoara – presented by Ștefania-Maria GHIȘA. Situated at the intersection of material culture and intellectual history, Ștefania’s talk explored the reception and use of scientific works in early modern Sighișoara. Her talk shed light on the role of books in shaping early scientific education within a confessional academic environment.
🔹Trivium Reloaded. A Quantitative Study of Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic Books Preserved in Sighișoara (Romania) – presented by Livia-Ioana POTOP. The presentation explored a corpus of Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic books from 16th–17th centuries, many of which preserve their original bindings and marginalia annotations. Livia’s focused case study highlighted signs of use and wear left by early readers, offering insight into books role in educational settings and the material traces of their transmission.
📍 Alongside the academic sessions, the program included a field trip to Alba Iulia, featuring visits to the Batthyaneum Library, the National Centre for Restoration of Old Books, and other significant heritage sites, alongside a guided tour of Cluj-Napoca.
💡 The Summer School created a rich environment for sharing ideas, receiving constructive feedback, and discussing key aspects of book materiality and print culture with fellow researchers.
