Interior

Lecterns

The books lie on the original lecterns. In 1564 there were only lecterns on the south side near the window, but already in 1565 eight additional ‘pulmten’ were ordered.

Wilhelm de Beeldensnyder carved images to the side of the oldest lecterns. The subjects range from worldly (flowers and persons) on the west side to sacred (the divine trinity) on the east side.

When chaining the books, wrought iron lock fittings were partially placed over the images. No images were added to the additional lecterns.

A new entrance

Originally the entrance to the Librije was through a door in the Walburgiskerk where today the memorial monument of Everhard van Heeckeren and his wife is situated. The first thing one would have seen upon entering the Librije was the statue  of Christ Salvator Mundi  with a blessing right hand and a globe with a cross in the left hand with the text ‘Ego sum via veritas et vita’ (I am the way, the truth and the life, (John 16:6). A reminder that knowledge was meant to lead the right life?

In 1706, when the memorial monument was built, a new door was installed at its current location.

Christus Salvator Mundi

The Pillars

The four pillars in the Librije were carved and painted by master Wilhelm de Beeldensnyder. There are eight images on each pillar: four at the corners and four more above (so-called corbels). From the entrance we see (from west to east): the Walburga pillar; the Barbara pillar; the pillar of Christ; the Peter and Paul pillar.

The fixed attributes identify  the depicted saint. For each pillar is indicated which saint it is and which are the attributes.

Floor map Librije

Walburga

The pillar of Walburga

Walburga can be recognized by her staff, crown and book. The evangelists Luke and Mattheus and Our Lady with child can also be seen.

The pillar of Barbara

Saint Barbara is recognizable by the tower, sword and beard and is, as usual, accompanied by Saint Catherine with book, wheel and sword. The evangelists Mark and John are also depicted.

The pillar of Christ

Christ Salvator Mundi is depicted with a blessing right hand and a globe with a cross in the left hand and the text: Ego sum via veritas et vita (I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 16:6).

The pillar of St Peter and St Paul

Peter and Paul are depicted with their fixed attributes, Peter with key and sword and Paul with sword and book.

Peter

Paul

The devils footprints

The floor tiles in the Librije are the original ones. Here and there you can see prints, resembling dog prints. It is known that Herman Berner had a bad relationship with the supplier of the tiles and it’s not unlikely that the supplier would have supplied him with bad tiles.

But… those paw prints, according to the Jaromir legend of A.C.W. Staring, are  the prints of the devil.

Jaromir was studying in the Librije when, as agreed, a nun brought him a basket of food with a roast chicken. It smelled so good that Jaromir forgot it was his day of fasting. When he had eaten the chicken, the devil appeared, who still had a bone to pick with him. The devil reminded him about his mistake and locked him up in the Librije until the next morning as punishment. As a reminder, he left his footprints.

The naked woman

On the westernmost side of the westernmost pillar, a female with naked genitals is depicted. Sometimes she is called the peeing, sometimes the giving birth female.

It is known that such images are more common in the world, but the explanations are very different. It is striking that a ferocious man’s head is depicted to the left of the female. Is this a so-called wild man? They were very scary and ‘away from God’. Is she perhaps a wild woman? There’s a lot we don’t know; Evil and Ignorance lurk everywhere.

For more information click hier to read J. Frings’ article about this female. (in dutch)

the naked woman