Dramatic fight to save ancient Pannonhalma library threatened by beetles

Tens of thousands of centuries-old books are being evacuated from Hungary's Pannonhalma Abbey after a severe infestation was discovered, threatening to wipe out centuries of written history. The drastic conservation measures are targeting one of Central Europe's most valuable medieval libraries, housed in a UNESCO site with a tradition dating back over 1,000 years.

• A heritage collection under attack

What seemed like a simple routine cleaning has turned into a cultural wake-up call. In one wing of the library, specialists have identified the pharmacy beetle - a species that eats away at the paper, leather and adhesives in the bindings of old books. It has already spread to areas where about 100,000 volumes are kept, prompting experts to treat the entire collection as infested. "We have never encountered such a degree of infestation before,” said Zsofia Edit Hajdu, the project's chief restorer.

• Immense risk to priceless treasures

Pannonhalma Abbey, founded in 996, is one of the oldest centers of learning in Hungary. Its library houses the country's oldest book collection, including 19 rare codices, a complete 13th-century Bible, pre-print manuscripts and tens of thousands of 16th-century books. "When I see a book eaten by a beetle, I feel like a part of the culture has been lost,” said Ilona Ásvanyi, the library's director. Although the most valuable and fragile volumes are stored separately and have not been affected, damage to any part of the collection is perceived as an irreparable loss to Europe's historical, religious and cultural heritage.

• How to save a medieval library

The rescue operation is a delicate and laborious one. The books are packed in airtight bags, from which oxygen is extracted. For six weeks, they will be exposed to pure nitrogen, a method designed to kill any insects hidden in the pages or bindings. Afterwards, each volume will be vacuumed and inspected individually, and those affected will enter a manual restoration program.

• Global warming - a new enemy of archives

Experts believe that climate change is contributing to such infestations. Higher temperatures accelerate the development cycle of insects, increasing the risk of biological damage in book stores. "In the past, we were mainly dealing with mold. Now, due to global warming, insect infestations will become more and more frequent,” warns restorer Hajdu.

• A spiritual and cultural mission

For the Benedictine monks, caring for these treasures is more than an administrative obligation. It is part of the Rule of Saint Benedict, which requires that all the monastery's possessions be treated with the same respect as sacred objects. "I feel a responsibility for what this conservation and restoration really means,” says Ásvanyi. "It is a fight for the soul of our library.”

• Hopeful reopening

The abbey hopes to reopen its library early next year, but the process of disinfecting, restoring and reorganizing the tens of thousands of volumes will be complex. Until then, the team works in silence, book by book, in the fight against an invisible enemy, so that a thousand years of written memory are not lost among the pages gnawed by time and insects.