Uncovering Byzantium's Fragments: The Greek Middle Ages Exhibition at Austrian National Library's Papyrus Museum

This special exhibition at the Papyrus Museum of the Austrian National Library explores the significance of fragments in understanding past cultures, focusing on the Byzantine Empire. It examines how physical remnants of older books survived and how text excerpts were recontextualized to reconstruct complex societies.

History is always incomplete, with surviving fragments resulting from a play of chance and deliberate selection. This holds true for the Byzantine Empire, which dominated the Eastern Mediterranean in the Middle Ages. The special exhibition at the Papyrus Museum of the Austrian National Library addresses the fragment as both an opportunity and a challenge for our understanding of past cultures and our knowledge of Byzantine history. How did physical remnants of older books survive? How were text excerpts recontextualized into new contexts? How do individual documents allow us to reconstruct a complex society? This exhibition delves into these questions, offering insights into the nature of historical evidence and the reconstruction of past realities through surviving pieces. The exhibition is a cooperation with the University of Vienna, Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, and is curated by Dr. Krystina Kubina and Dr. Giulia Rossetto. It coincides with the 25th International Congress of Byzantine Studies held at the University of Vienna.

Information on ticketing and admission is not detailed on this page. Visitors are directed to the main museum website for further details. The exhibition is presented as part of the Papyrus Museum's programming, likely requiring museum admission. Specific event or booking details are not provided here.