Spain, partner of the Hebrew Fragments in European Libraries project

Hundreds of Hebrew and Aljamiado book and documents fragments and documents are found in collections throughout Spain. Many fragments have been known since the early 20th C. and described in scattered publications, many new sources have been identified recently. A systematic study of some of the fragments collections was initiated by the late JosŽ L. Lacave (former Arias Montano Institute at the CSIC) and by David Romano (Universidad de Barcelona), who concentrated on the publication of those of historical documentary content (1997, see: www.unavarra.es/organiza/pdf/fondos_hebreos.pdf). In recent years, spectacular discoveries were for instance made in the state archives of Gerona (State, Municipal and Cathedral Archives), where some estimated 2000 paper fragments were glued together to create cardboard book covers. A first inventory and digitalization of some 600 Gerona fragments is underway. The research in various other collections is carried out as collaboration between Spanish and Catalan scholars and institutions, under the responsibility of Dr Javier Casta–o, of the CSIC in Madrid.

Research in the collections of the Archivo Histórico Nacional (Madrid), Biblioteca de Montserrat (Barcelona), Biblioteca de Catalunya (Barcelona) and other archives and libraries in Spain, where dozens of Hebrew fragments have been found, is being carried out by Javier del Barco (Universidad Complutense de Madrid).