Czech Book Culture on the Path from Manuscript to Print

Drawing on a collection of concise studies, this monograph outlines the landscape of book culture, literary production, and the reading public in the Czech lands at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. It explores the conditions that led to the emergence and reception of the printing press in the Czech lands and examines the phenomena and influences shaping the transition from manuscript to print. By comparing domestic developments with those abroad, the study places the early Czech printing period in an international context. In light of ongoing discussions on the nature of Czech humanism and the concept of "national humanism", the author also reflects on the intellectual, cultural, and social dimensions of book culture during this period.