Knihovna kapucínského kláštera v Mnichově Hradišti: (Historické knižní katalogy jako pramen pro studium dějin klášterních knihoven)

The Capuchin monastery in Mnichovo Hradiště was founded by Count Arnošt Josef of Valdštejn in 1690. It was generously supported by Countess Marie Markéta of Valdštejn, née Černínová of Chudenice. She also donated money to the monastic library, specifically 5,000 gold coins in 1724 for the purchase of books and 1,000 gold coins, from which 50 gold coins were to be paid every year for the purchase of new books. This made it possible to complement the book collection regularly. In 1754, the library began to be catalogued. The catalogue included approximately 1,800 volumes. Nevertheless, considering the fact that the catalogue is not complete, their total number must have exceeded 2,000 volumes. In 1785, based on a court decree, the monastery was abolished. Thanks to Vincenc of Valdštejn, however, it was given permission to exist until all the members of the convent died. The library remained in its place for the time being although some books as well as the catalogue from 1754 were moved to the castle library in Doksy. Yet most of the Capuchin library ended like other libraries of abolished monasteries - it was handed over to the Imperial-Royal University Library, which is evidenced by various documents and the catalogue of the library from March 1813, deposited in the Archives of the National Library in Prague now. Unlike the catalogue from 1754, ordered by subject, the catalogue from 1813 is arranged alphabetically according to the author’s surname or the title of the book. It contains records of approximately 2,700 book volumes, which corresponds to an increase by ca 500 volumes from 1754. The newly purchased volumes were dominated by foreign-language Bohemica, which had been printed in Prague as well as in other Czech printing workshops (Olomouc, Hradec Králové, Litoměřice). Research into the collections of the National Library has so far revealed 80 volumes of early printed books and 4 manuscripts that used to belong to the monastery in Mnichovo Hradiště. Based on the volumes discovered, the library seems to have preferred Bohemica, both in Czech and in foreign languages. The extant catalogues from 1754 and 1813 have made it possible to obtain a better idea of the library of the Mnichovo Hradiště monastery and have effectively helped in the search for extant volumes.