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 INSTITUTES

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INSTITUTES

et de Rome ", is made up of lengthy monographs by pupils of the Ecole, treating of divers sulijccts con- nected with their studies in the Vatican archives and library. The papal " Regesta " of the thirteenth cen- tury, the "Liber Pontificalis", and the ''Liber Cen- suum" (Fabre-Diichesne) form a second series of historical puljlications to the credit of the French school. A third series is made up of documents selected from the fourteenth -century papal "Re- gesta", and is entitled " Lettres des papes d'Avignon se rapportant a la France ". The slow progress of so many learned enterprises is a matter of general regret, nor can one always approve the methods employed, though no one can deny the very great utility of these scholarly studies and researches for the history of the papacy and its international relations. The chaplains of the French National Institute of St-Louis des Frangais have recently undertaken a work closely related to that of the Ecole Frangaise, the publication in concise regesta -like form of all letters of the Avignon popes. Gratifj-ing progress is being made with the "Regesta" of John XXII. The review known as the "Annales de St-Louis des Fran^ais", whose contributions to ecclesiastical history were note- worthy, has been discontinued. Other works of a learned historical nature have been published by the chaplains of this institute, the results of their dili- gent researches in the Vatican archives.

Oerman Catholic Institutes. — The chaplains of the German national institute of Santa Maria di Campo Santo Teutonico were among the first to profit by the opening of the secret archives for the conduct of scientific research in the field of German ecclesiasti- cal history, llonsignor de Waal, director of the in- stitute, founded the " Romische Quartalschrift fiir Archaologie und Kirchengeschichte " as a centre for historical research more modest and limited in scope, and it fulfils this purpose in a creditable manner. To the students of fiistory at the Campo Santo is owing the founding, at Rome, of the Gorres Society Historical Institute. This institute, established after long hesitation, sufficiently explained by the slender resources of the society, is now a credit to its founders (besides regular reports, begun in 1S90, on the work of this institute, and filed in the records of the so- ciety, see Cardauns, " Die Gorres Gesellschaft, 1876- 1901", Cologne, 1901, pp. 65-73). In 1900 a new department was added and placed under the guidance of Monsignor Wilpert, for the study of Christian archfeology and the history of Christian art. The Roman labours of the Gorres Society Institute deal chiefly with nunciature reports, the administration records of the Curia since 1300, and the Acts of the Council of Trent. Other publications, more or less broad in scope, are published regularly in the "His- torisches Jahrbuch", among its " Quellen und For- schungen", or in other organs of the Gorres Society. The twelve stout volumes in which this institute proposes to edit exhaustively the Acts and records of the Council of Trent, represent one of the most diffi- cult and important tasks which could be set before a body of workers in the Vatican archives. The afore- said investigation of medieval papal administration and financial records, which the institute investigates in co-operation with the .\ustrian Leo Society, open up a chief source of information for the history of the Curia in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The results accomplished by this purely private as- sociation surpass greatly those of many governmental institutes. The Gorres Society Institute maintains at Rome no library of its own, but aids efficiently in the growth of the fine library at the Campo Santo Teutonico, near the Vatican. The Leo Society sup- ports at Rome a trained investigator, who devotes his time to publications from the papal treasury {Camera), records of the later Middle Ages. The pre.sent director of the Gurres Society Institute is Dr. Stephan Ehses.

Austria. — The Austrian institute (Instituto Aus- triaco di studi storici), established by Theodor von Sickel, and now directed by Professor von Pastor, has existed since 18S3. It affords young historical workers the means of familiarizing themsehes (hiring a brief sojourn at Rome with the rich manuscript materials accumulated there, and in this way enaljles them to produce monographs of value. It co-operates in the pubhcatiou of the nunciature reports, and contem- plates the publication of the correspondence of the legates and the ambassadors at the Council of Trent. Among the publications of this institute are Sickel's study on the "Privilegium Ottonianum"; his edition of the "Liber Diurnus"; and his noteworthy "Ro- mische Berichte" (Roman reports). Several valuable studies by tliis institute have appeared in the " Mit- theilungen des osterreicliischen Institutes fiir Ge- schichtsforschung," dealing with the work of the medieval papal chancery, while Ottenthal's "Chan- cery Rules" and Tangl's "Chancery Regulations" are constantly referred to in every recent work on the Middle Ages. The numerous historical commissions which were sent from Bohemia to Rome (concerning which, see below) may be considered as auxiliaries of the Austrian Institute.

Prussia. — A short history of the founding of the Prussian historical institute was published by Fried- ensburg (Berhn, Academy of Sciences). The project dates back to 1S83, but it was not until May of 1888 that Konrad Schottmiiller succeeded in opening a Prussian Historical Bureau that began modestly enough, but soon developed into the actual Prussian Institute, reorganized (12 November, 1902) on a ma- terially enlarged scale, and now the most important of all historical institutes at Rome, owing largely to the efforts of its present director, Professor Kehr. In addition to the general work of historical investiga- tions, special departments are conducted for the his- tory of art and for patristic and Biblical research. Besides its own publication, " Quellen und For- schungen aus itahenischen .Archiven", the institute issues a series of German nunciature reports (eleven volumes since 1897). The Library of the Institute, besides extensive monographs on various subjects, has published the useful " Repertorium Germanicum", and, in co-operation with the Instituto Storico Ita- liano, the " Registrum chartarum Italia? ", a series of independent volumes. These researches take in Italian, German, French, English, and Spanish ar- chives; Austria and Switzerland are likewise visited occasionally. The library of the institute ranks, with that of the Palazzo Farnese, among the best historical libraries in Rome.

Hungary. — The " Hungaricorum Historicorum Col- legium Romanum", though no longer in existence, owed its inception in 1892 to the efforts of Monsignor Fraknoi, and published under his direction (since 1897) the " Monumenta Vaticana historiam regni Hungariae illustrantia", whose two series in ten folio volumes are a lasting tribute to the munificence of Fraknoi. Other noteworthy monographs based on Roman documents and illustrating the history of Hungary must be credited to this institute.

Belgium. — The " Institut historique Beige a Rome" was founded in December, 1904. The minister of state defined its purpose to be the searching of Italian archives, and especially those of the Vatican, for his- torical material bearing on Belgium, and the publi- cation of the results obtained. The project included a centre for individual Belgian investigators as well as for students assisted by the State, where all might find an adequate library and facihties for securing his- torical data of every kind. The institute, it is hoped, will eventually become an " Ecole des hautes Etudes" for the study of ecclesiastical and profane history, classical philologj', archceologj', and the history of art. Its first director was Dom Ursmer Berliere, of the