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Massive beetle infestation: Hungary's medieval library fights to save thousands of books

2025-07-13 18:05:00, Kuriozitete CNA

Massive beetle infestation: Hungary's medieval library fights to save

Tens of thousands of centuries-old books are being pulled from the shelves of a medieval abbey in Hungary in an effort to save them from a beetle infestation that could erase centuries of history.

The 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Abbey, or the Territorial Abbey of Saint Martin on Mount Pannonhalma, is a sprawling Benedictine monastery that is one of the oldest centers of learning in Hungary and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Massive beetle infestation: Hungary's medieval library fights to save

Restoration workers are removing about 100,000 hand-bound books from their shelves and carefully placing them in crates, the beginning of a disinfection process aimed at killing the tiny beetles hiding in them.

The insect, also known as the bread beetle, is often found among dry foods like grains, flour, and spices. But they are also attracted to gelatins and starch-based glues found in books.

Massive beetle infestation: Hungary's medieval library fights to save

The beetle infestation was first discovered during a routine cleaning of the library. Staff noticed unusual layers of dust on the shelves and then saw that some of the spines of the books were riddled with holes. When the volumes were opened, holes were visible in the paper where the beetles had chewed.

Massive beetle infestation: Hungary's medieval library fights to save

The Abbey in Pannonhalma was founded in 996, four years before the founding of the Kingdom of Hungary. Situated on a high hill in northwestern Hungary, the abbey houses the oldest collection of books in the country, as well as many of its earliest and most important written records./CNA

 

 

 

 

 





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