The fate of Slovakia's documentary heritage has been shaped over the centuries by a number of political, cultural and social phenomena. The historical territory of Slovakia itself has been a permanent meeting ground of political interests and cultural influences from the whole of Europe. The Antiphonaries of Bratislava belong to the most significant and most representative monuments of the book culture in Bratislava and Central Europe, which, due to their international significance, were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 1997.
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The library of the Bratislava Chapter contains more than 3,000 volumes of historical value. It contains books from the 12th to 19th centuries in the field of secular and church literature. The library houses the most extensive and, from the point of view of art history, the most valuable collection of medieval manuscripts in Slovakia. Of the 139 medieval codices registered in the 19th century, 101 date from the 12th to 16th centuries. The collection also includes richly illuminated antiphonaries - music codices.
The so-called Bratislava Antiphonaries date from the 15th century. Bratislava Antiphonary I was created in the last quarter of the 15th century and was used by the Bratislava Chapter for liturgical chants for almost 300 years. It is located in the Bratislava City Archives. Bratislava Antiphonary II (the so-called Han Codex) is in two volumes and was created at the initiative of the Bratislava canon Johannes Han in 1487-1488. It is richly decorated with line drawings and illuminations. After World War I, the antiphonary was cut into three parts and sold off. Currently, the individual parts are in the Slovak National Archives (SNA), the Bratislava City Archives and the Bratislava City Museum. Bratislava Antiphonary III dates from the second half of the 15th century. It contains seven painted ornamental initials. It is also located in the Bratislava City Archives. The Bratislava Antiphonary IV was made between 1420 and 1440 and is located in the Slovak National Archives, the Chapter Library, and the Bratislava City Archives.
