Video from Slice History
Preserving the Past: The Book Hunters’ Legacy I SLICE HISTORY | FULL DOCUMENTARY
"Book hunters are the secret heroes of history. In times of greatest barbarism, they tried to save what could be saved. Without the book hunters, we would know much less about our own history.
While libraries burned and rulers systematically destroyed unpopular literature, they collected and copied manuscripts. Only what fell into the hands of the dedicated book hunters, had a chance of being handed down. Thus, Tacitus' "Germania" reached the Middle Ages in only one copy. Without Tacitus, we wouldn't know anything of the Germanic tribes without writing, would have no idea of the successful battle in the Teutoburg Forest. And yet, even the book hunters could not prevent the loss of an infinite amount of ancient knowledge. What would history have been like if humankind had been able to build on the knowledge of the Romans and Greeks? What kind of advanced society would we be living in now? And today: Are we safe from loss of our knowledge?
Documentary: Book Hunters (2017)
Directed by: Susanne Brahms
Production: Kinescope Films" from the video introduction
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