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Pannonhalma Archabbey Library Enters Oxygen-Free Treatment to Combat Beetle Outbreak
PANNONHALMA ARCHABBEY, HUNGARY, JUL 14 – About 100,000 handbound books are sealed in oxygen-free crates to eliminate beetles threatening centuries-old cultural heritage, with climate change cited as a contributing factor.
- Approximately 100,000 ancient volumes are being carefully removed from the shelves of the millennium-old Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary to combat a beetle infestation threatening to destroy these historic works.
- The presence of beetles was initially noticed during standard library maintenance, when employees observed unusual dust accumulation and tunnels in the spines of books, revealing a widespread infestation impacting the entire collection.
- Restoration workers are placing about 100,000 handbound books in hermetically sealed crates with oxygen removed as part of a six-week disinfection to kill the burrowed beetles.
- Chief restorer Zsófia Edit Hajdu explained that the insect infestation is severe and widespread throughout the library, requiring simultaneous treatment of all affected materials, and noted that rising temperatures create more favorable conditions for insect development.
- The abbey, guided by nearly 1,500 years of Benedictine regulations, plans to reopen the library early next year and stresses that any harm to the collection constitutes a significant loss to cultural and religious heritage.
65 Articles
65 Articles
It is a struggle for every side: the bread beetle has settled in the library of the over a thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery Pannonhalma in Hungary.
Hungary's oldest library has embarked on a battle to preserve 100,000 books. But the 'enemy' they face is not fire, moisture, or any other element that usually threatens a precious book legacy, but bugs.
During a routine cleaning, employees of the Pannonhalma Abbey discovered an infestation of bread vrillettes, small beetles fond of bindings. A race against the watch started to save the collection.
Destructive bug infestation threatens historic 1,000-year-old book collection
Historic books at Hungary's Pannonhalma Archabbey face destruction from drugstore beetles, prompting restoration workers to disinfect 100,000 volumes at the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The beetles, known as warehouse pests, have invaded the collection of the main library of the Benedictine monastery in Pannonhalma, Hungary. Experts believe they entered the library through doors and windows or by hiding on people's clothing.
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