The library of the Order of St Augustine in the Lesser Town of Prague, comprising more than 18,000 volumes, is an extraordinary book set of significant scientific and historical value. Nevertheless, a scientific study that would cover the entire history of the library was not available until now. This article provides a brief outline of the history of the monastic library at St Thomas, mentioning some remarkable figures that have contributed to its prosperity. The introductory part brings information on the binding rules governing the librarian practice in the monastic libraries of the Order of Saint Augustine in the Middle Ages. Because of the long time span, this treatise has been divided into two parts - the medieval and modern history of the library. Particular attention is paid to two periods - the 14th and 18th centuries, during which some members of the Order held leading positions at the university in Prague and, through their pastoral, preaching and educational activities, they were actively involved in the social, cultural and spiritual edification of broad social classes., Veronika Sladká., Obsahuje anglický abstrakt a shrnutí., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Relying on thorough examination of relevant archival material, this paper analyzes the attitudes and behavior of the Austrian Chancellor Metternich during the second Meḥmed cAlī crisis from 1839-1841, which arose from the antagonism between Sultan Maḥmūd II and his powerful Egyptian vassal, Meḥmed cAlī. The object of this study is not simply an analysis of Austrian diplomacy. Attention is also paid to Metternich’s attitude towards the Ottoman reform movement, his “church policy” in the spring of 1841, and the false and frequently repeated accusation by then French historians that he was the instigator of Mustafa Reshīd Pasha’s fall at the end of March in 1841.
The first Mohammed Ali crisis of the early 1830s significantly influenced the situation within the Ottoman Empire as will as the relations among the European Powers. The goal of this paper is to analyze the diplomacy of the Austrian Chancellor Metternich in the Levant during this important affair and thus to reveal how Austria´s vast economic interests in this refion, and particularly in Egypt, determined the decision-making process of the cabinet in Vienna. At that time the extent of Austrian trade with Egypt exceeded that of other European countries and prevented Austria´s active involvement in the conflict. The arguments of the paper are based upon a research of the archival materials housed in Vienna, Berlin, London and Paris.