The exhibition entitled Vyčerpaní, Vyprahlí, Vynalézaví – Tired, Thirsty, Thoughtful took place in the Galerie Klementinum, part of the National Library in Prague, from May 25 to July 5, 2026. It was both in Czech and in English. The focus was on medieval scribes.
Medieval scribes often added a note at the end of their copy: a colophon. In it, they usually state when, where, and what they copied, and sometimes introduce themselves. At other times they pray or ask for a prayer, apologize, complain, ask for a reward, threaten book thieves, or play and experiment. However, these are usually not their personal opinions or feelings, but established formulas that the scribes merely adopted, often with various modifications.
Thirty cultural monuments were on display – originals of rare medieval manuscripts held in the National Library.
The exhibition was visited by over 7,500 physical visitors. It was presented on social media as well as on the CU website and has attracted many online visitors, too.
The volume accompanying the exhibition is only available in Czech but it is a solid scientific achievement. It is called Za posledním řádkem. Kolofony ve středověkých rukopisech z českých zemí (Beyond the Last Line. Colophons in Manuscripts from the Czech Lands).
Part of the exhibition is available online. One can see the panels, further materials, brief videos, worksheets for schools, as well as digitized images of the manuscripts that were shown, and several special apps – on the mobility of scribes, as well as the distribution of colophons in the calendar year. These elements will be further used and developed during the continuing PAMELA project implementation.
A total of 31 guided tours through the exhibition took place, primarily for school groups, but also for university student and professional groups. The authors of the exhibition delivered three lectures for a wider public on the theme of the exhibition.
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