Swedish Post-medieval Manuscripts at the National Library of Sweden and Uppsala University Library – a catalouging and digitization project
Historical epochs are arbitrary and govern our thoughts. Consequently, an important body of texts, produced after 1530 but organically connected to medieval text production, has been neglected. Research related to the manuscripts concern legal history, language, book, and art history, but is hampered by lack of adequate catalogues. The better known medieval manuscripts have been attended to within the TTT project, "Text till tiden". The purpose of this project is to create a complete digital catalogue of the approximately 235 post-medieval manuscripts at the National Library of Sweden and Uppsala University Library, and to fully digitize c. 50 representative manuscripts. These younger manuscripts have been neglected by research for a long time, not least because they were produced in a period of transition when book printing was gaining wide-scale momentum. But since the two media continued to co-exist for a long time in parallel discourses, it is important to pay attention to the handwritten production of the 16th and 17th century, thereby opening up for comparative studies of both media types, their distinctiveness and mutual impact.
The catalogue will use standard metadata formats and linked open data: TEI for the manuscript descriptions and IIIF for the digitized manuscripts. It will be made available through “Manuscripta – a Digital Catalogue of Manuscripts in Sweden”, a national infrastructure maintained by the National Library of Sweden.
Final report
Purpose, Development, and Results of the Infrastructure
The aim of the project has been to create a comprehensive catalogue of post-medieval manuscripts containing medieval Swedish-language texts, as well as to digitise a selection of these manuscripts held at the National Library of Sweden (KB) and Uppsala University Library (UUB). The project continues and complements the cataloguing previously carried out in the project "Text till tiden", which focused on the medieval Swedish-language manuscripts held at these libraries.
The catalogue includes information on 321 manuscripts or fragments thereof. Of these, the physical characteristics (bindings, scripts, illustrations) of around 250 older manuscripts, dating up to the early 17th century, have been described in detail. The descriptions cover which texts are included in each book, script characteristics, illustrations, how the books are compiled (e.g., if they consist of several bound parts), and the design of the bindings. Based on this data, earlier assumptions about the dating and provenance of the books have been reassessed. The result is a rich foundation for further research into the texts, bindings, and the development of handwriting in the early modern period. More recent composite manuscripts, in which the medieval text(s) constitute only a minor part, have not been described in detail in terms of content or format. A selection of 38 self-dated manuscripts from the period 1535–1619 have been digitised within the scope of the project (29 from KB and 9 from UUB).
The catalogue has been made available in the standardised metadata format TEI (https://tei-c.org) and published on the national research infrastructure manuscripta.se (https://www.manuscripta.se). The digitised manuscripts are freely available on the same platform and are published in accordance with the IIIF standards (International Image Interoperability Framework: http://iiif.io). This means that each manuscript can be viewed in high resolution with support for zooming, panning, and page turning. It is also possible to display multiple manuscripts side by side in the viewer for comparison. Additionally, the image material can be integrated into other IIIF-compatible viewing environments and research tools. By combining TEI-based catalogue descriptions with IIIF-compatible image viewing, manuscripta.se offers a rich and seamless user experience for both researchers and the general public.
The cataloguing work was carried out in a custom-developed MS Access database. Using an XSLT script, the data was then converted to the TEI format for publication on manuscripta.se. The script was originally developed as part of the "Text till tiden" project and has since been continuously updated to accommodate changes in the database structure. The data conversion was extensive, as the Access database consists of about 30 interlinked tables containing information on many aspects of each manuscript – such as contents, materials, scripts, works, and provenance. In the TEI format, all information about a manuscript is compiled into a single XML file. The developed script has been used to create TEI files for 321 manuscripts, along with authority records for persons, organisations, places, works, and bibliographic references.
Finally, a web-based editing interface has been developed, allowing catalogue records to be updated and supplemented directly within manuscripta.se – without requiring knowledge of XML. The interface was developed by an external consultant during the course of the project, funded partly by KB and partly by external project funds.
Use of the Infrastructure
Website statistics for manuscripta.se show a steady increase in user numbers over time. In 2021, the site had 5,187 visitors, rising to 9,708 in 2024. During the first half of 2025, there has been a clear surge: by mid-year, the number of visitors has already exceeded 8,000. Notably, more than half of the traffic comes from abroad, demonstrating significant international interest in the content of manuscripta.se.
Challenges and Deviations from the Original Plan
The project has been delayed due to two main reasons. First, a key team member left for a different position. This loss of expertise could not be fully compensated, partly due to recruitment difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to qualified replacements was limited. Second, another team member was on extended parental leave, further affecting staffing and work pace. These factors together led to delays in certain parts of the project plan.
Integration in the Organisation and Long-Term Maintenance
The national research infrastructure manuscripta.se is developed and maintained by KB, at the R&D and KBlab Unit. The long-term goal is for manuscripta.se to include descriptions and – as far as possible – digitised versions of all medieval and early modern manuscripts in Sweden. Already, the database contains around 1,300 manuscripts from 11 different institutions, most of which have been digitised.
In addition to the current project, the research infrastructure is also used in four other ongoing cataloguing and digitisation projects:
1. "Medieval Latin Manuscripts in the Collections of the National Library of Sweden: Cataloguing and Digitisation" (RJ 2023–2026). This project aims to catalogue and digitise over 200 medieval Latin manuscripts with theological content, which will be published on manuscripta.se.
2. "Digitisation of the Old Norse Manuscripts in Swedish Collections" (RJ 2023–2026). The goal is to digitise all Old Norse manuscripts – around 500 – in the holdings of KB and UUB, as well as to convert descriptions from two printed manuscript catalogues from the 1890s into TEI format for publication on manuscripta.se.
3. "Nordic Law Books: The Production and Use of Vernacular Law Manuscripts in the North from 1100 to 1600 (NordicLaw)" (NordForsk 2024–2026). A collaborative project between the National Library of Sweden and the universities of Bergen, Iceland, Copenhagen, and Oslo, which will, among other outcomes, produce descriptions of Nordic law manuscripts held at KB to be published on manuscripta.se.
4. "The Early History of the Swedish National Heritage Board and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities" (Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, 2024–2026). A research and digitisation project focusing on the early history of these two institutions, resulting in the digitisation and publication of more than 700 volumes from the collections of KB and the Swedish National Heritage Board on manuscripta.se.
Infrastructure Accessibility and Open Science
The manuscripta.se infrastructure is entirely built with open-source software and consists of the following technical components:
- eXist-db – an XML database that supports indexing, advanced search functionality, and conversion of TEI to HTML and PDF.
- React – a JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces, which is used in the web-based TEI editing tool.
- IIPImage Server and Mirador – used to display digitised manuscripts according to the IIIF standards.
All research data – in the form of XML files – is freely available under a CC-BY license via manuscripta.se and GitHub (https://github.com/manuscripta). The image files are published as Public Domain and can be freely accessed on manuscripta.se, and will also be available on the National Library of Sweden’s data platform: https://data.kb.se.
The aim of the project has been to create a comprehensive catalogue of post-medieval manuscripts containing medieval Swedish-language texts, as well as to digitise a selection of these manuscripts held at the National Library of Sweden (KB) and Uppsala University Library (UUB). The project continues and complements the cataloguing previously carried out in the project "Text till tiden", which focused on the medieval Swedish-language manuscripts held at these libraries.
The catalogue includes information on 321 manuscripts or fragments thereof. Of these, the physical characteristics (bindings, scripts, illustrations) of around 250 older manuscripts, dating up to the early 17th century, have been described in detail. The descriptions cover which texts are included in each book, script characteristics, illustrations, how the books are compiled (e.g., if they consist of several bound parts), and the design of the bindings. Based on this data, earlier assumptions about the dating and provenance of the books have been reassessed. The result is a rich foundation for further research into the texts, bindings, and the development of handwriting in the early modern period. More recent composite manuscripts, in which the medieval text(s) constitute only a minor part, have not been described in detail in terms of content or format. A selection of 38 self-dated manuscripts from the period 1535–1619 have been digitised within the scope of the project (29 from KB and 9 from UUB).
The catalogue has been made available in the standardised metadata format TEI (https://tei-c.org) and published on the national research infrastructure manuscripta.se (https://www.manuscripta.se). The digitised manuscripts are freely available on the same platform and are published in accordance with the IIIF standards (International Image Interoperability Framework: http://iiif.io). This means that each manuscript can be viewed in high resolution with support for zooming, panning, and page turning. It is also possible to display multiple manuscripts side by side in the viewer for comparison. Additionally, the image material can be integrated into other IIIF-compatible viewing environments and research tools. By combining TEI-based catalogue descriptions with IIIF-compatible image viewing, manuscripta.se offers a rich and seamless user experience for both researchers and the general public.
The cataloguing work was carried out in a custom-developed MS Access database. Using an XSLT script, the data was then converted to the TEI format for publication on manuscripta.se. The script was originally developed as part of the "Text till tiden" project and has since been continuously updated to accommodate changes in the database structure. The data conversion was extensive, as the Access database consists of about 30 interlinked tables containing information on many aspects of each manuscript – such as contents, materials, scripts, works, and provenance. In the TEI format, all information about a manuscript is compiled into a single XML file. The developed script has been used to create TEI files for 321 manuscripts, along with authority records for persons, organisations, places, works, and bibliographic references.
Finally, a web-based editing interface has been developed, allowing catalogue records to be updated and supplemented directly within manuscripta.se – without requiring knowledge of XML. The interface was developed by an external consultant during the course of the project, funded partly by KB and partly by external project funds.
Use of the Infrastructure
Website statistics for manuscripta.se show a steady increase in user numbers over time. In 2021, the site had 5,187 visitors, rising to 9,708 in 2024. During the first half of 2025, there has been a clear surge: by mid-year, the number of visitors has already exceeded 8,000. Notably, more than half of the traffic comes from abroad, demonstrating significant international interest in the content of manuscripta.se.
Challenges and Deviations from the Original Plan
The project has been delayed due to two main reasons. First, a key team member left for a different position. This loss of expertise could not be fully compensated, partly due to recruitment difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to qualified replacements was limited. Second, another team member was on extended parental leave, further affecting staffing and work pace. These factors together led to delays in certain parts of the project plan.
Integration in the Organisation and Long-Term Maintenance
The national research infrastructure manuscripta.se is developed and maintained by KB, at the R&D and KBlab Unit. The long-term goal is for manuscripta.se to include descriptions and – as far as possible – digitised versions of all medieval and early modern manuscripts in Sweden. Already, the database contains around 1,300 manuscripts from 11 different institutions, most of which have been digitised.
In addition to the current project, the research infrastructure is also used in four other ongoing cataloguing and digitisation projects:
1. "Medieval Latin Manuscripts in the Collections of the National Library of Sweden: Cataloguing and Digitisation" (RJ 2023–2026). This project aims to catalogue and digitise over 200 medieval Latin manuscripts with theological content, which will be published on manuscripta.se.
2. "Digitisation of the Old Norse Manuscripts in Swedish Collections" (RJ 2023–2026). The goal is to digitise all Old Norse manuscripts – around 500 – in the holdings of KB and UUB, as well as to convert descriptions from two printed manuscript catalogues from the 1890s into TEI format for publication on manuscripta.se.
3. "Nordic Law Books: The Production and Use of Vernacular Law Manuscripts in the North from 1100 to 1600 (NordicLaw)" (NordForsk 2024–2026). A collaborative project between the National Library of Sweden and the universities of Bergen, Iceland, Copenhagen, and Oslo, which will, among other outcomes, produce descriptions of Nordic law manuscripts held at KB to be published on manuscripta.se.
4. "The Early History of the Swedish National Heritage Board and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities" (Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, 2024–2026). A research and digitisation project focusing on the early history of these two institutions, resulting in the digitisation and publication of more than 700 volumes from the collections of KB and the Swedish National Heritage Board on manuscripta.se.
Infrastructure Accessibility and Open Science
The manuscripta.se infrastructure is entirely built with open-source software and consists of the following technical components:
- eXist-db – an XML database that supports indexing, advanced search functionality, and conversion of TEI to HTML and PDF.
- React – a JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces, which is used in the web-based TEI editing tool.
- IIPImage Server and Mirador – used to display digitised manuscripts according to the IIIF standards.
All research data – in the form of XML files – is freely available under a CC-BY license via manuscripta.se and GitHub (https://github.com/manuscripta). The image files are published as Public Domain and can be freely accessed on manuscripta.se, and will also be available on the National Library of Sweden’s data platform: https://data.kb.se.