How a relationship born out of the Cold War made the Hesburgh Libraries an essential destination for medieval research

Each year, 1.3 million people visit the archaeological marvel Stonehenge.

As one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world, it showcases a remarkable feat of engineering and ingenuity—and provides researchers with valuable insight into Neolithic and Bronze Age societies and practices.

But what if scholars could see a reproduction of the stones as they were when erected—what new context would be considered and what discoveries could be made by studying a perfectly preserved version of its original form?

The University of Notre Dame offers the opportunity for such insight into 30,000 equally important, and equally irreplaceable, works of human creativity—reproductions of rare medieval manuscripts whose destruction was twice threatened during periods of intense geopolitical conflict.

“These are a preservation of cultural heritage, but in a book form,” said Julia Schneider, the medieval studies subject librarian with Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Libraries.

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