In 18th century Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany , where modern forestry began , a curious kind out of library began to grow.
Enthusiasts began to collect samples of unlike woods , but instead of elementary blocks the samples were fashioned inwards the form of books. These wooden “books” could survive opened to disclose a hollowed out compartment where botanical samples of the source tree were stored—leaves , seeds , nut , twigs , fruit , flowers , pieces of origin together with bark. In some cases , written descriptions of the tree together with the diseases it mightiness endure from were likewise included. The “books” were arranged inwards shelves , exactly similar inwards a regular library , amongst the spine showing where the labels were attached.
A xylotheque at Stift Lilienfeld inwards Austria. Every “book” is made yesteryear the wood of the tree that is documented inside. Photo credit: Haeferl/Wikimedia
“The majority on Fagus , for instance , the mutual European beech , would survive saltation inwards the bark of that tree. Its interior would incorporate samples of beech nuts together with seeds; together with its pages would literally survive its leaves , the folios its feuilles ,” —Simon Schama from Landscape together with Memory , 1995.
These libraries are called xylotheques , from the Greek words xylos which agency “wood” together with theque for “depository”
“A xylotheque is something to a greater extent than than exactly collection of wood exactly every bit a library is to a greater extent than than only a collection of books ,” writes Wikipedia.
There are many well-preserved xylotheques roughly the earth , the largest beingness the Samuel James Record Collection at Yale University , which has to a greater extent than than lx ,000 editions inwards unlike woods. The minute largest xylotheque belongs to the Royal Museum of Central Africa inwards Tervuren , Kingdom of Belgium , amongst over 57 ,000 samples. The Thünen Institute of Wood Research inwards Hamburg has to a greater extent than than 37 ,000 samples.
Photo credit: Haeferl/Wikimedia
The Schildbach Xylotheque of the Ottoneum (Natural History Museum) inwards Kassel (Hesse , Germany). Photo credit: David Gómez Fontanills/Wikimedia
The Holzbibliothek auf Schloss Langenburg. Photo credit: Matthias Süßen/Wikimedia
The Karel von Hinterlagen Xylotheque (1825) , at Strahov Monastery , Prague. Photo credit: Régine Fabri/Wikimedia
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