Die Handschrift des Digestum vetus aus der Bibliothek in Kórnik (BK 824). Vom ikonographischen Programm der mittelalterlichen Künstler zur Hypothese über die Unterrichtsmethode

Abstract

The collection of the Kórnik Library includes the digestum vestus manuscript, the uniqueness of which is emphasized by art historians. There are two main reasons why it is unique. Firstly, because of the number of illuminations in the legal manuscript. Secondly, because of the confirmed fact that relevant part of illuminations was implementing an illustrative program. The paper starts with presenting the history of the manuscript. The main part of the paper focuses on the issues if and how the illustrative program has reflected the medieval teaching method based on the first 24 books of Justinian’s Digest (digestum vetus). The analysis of allocating the illuminations and links between illuminations and specific legal issues give rise to recognizing the main features of this method: central role of the tort (aquilian) liability, semi-systemic approach to the formation and performance of contract and marginal role of the texts related to legal method and general concepts of law at the beginning of the Digest. This hypothesis formulated on the basis of one, unique manuscript should inspire further debate about the fragmentary pragmatic nature of medieval law teaching based on the Digest.