“There’s a false impression that we’re taking in riches and gems and gold and everything imaginable — that’s nonsense,” says Peter Beer, Cardinal Reinhard Marx’s deputy in charge of administration to AP at his office in Munich. “We are taking on costs more than anything… we do not need any help from the U.S.A. to understand how to treat cultural assets of significance for Europe. We have a slightly longer history and slightly longer experience,” Beer concludes, referring to an open letter from American and European academics. In a final statement he adds, “it is a little irritating to have things thrown out in public in an open letter without the facts.” The diocese has explained that it is their intention to have the parts of the library, which dates before 1803 digitized in order to make it available for scholars.
However, at stake here is much more than just the curation of the singular gems in the collection; at stake are the multiple traces of the life-world and the religious and spiritual practice of a group of the Bridgettine nuns, who formed a living community for more than 500 years.
Also, the group of concerned scholars do not just stem from Arizona or Chicago. Representatives from the Universities in Sweden, England, Denmark and Holland are also engaged in trying to establish a dialogue with the Diocese.

Medieval Bridgettine Treasure in Danger of Being Dispersed
The Altomünster Abbey, founded in AD 750 have housed Bridgettine nuns nearly continuously since 1496. Suddenly, in December 2015, the Munich Diocese decided to close the convent. Since then, the future fate of the priceless collections has been unknown.
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