Zesiger collection

Werner Zesiger (1908-1958) was a physician in in the Swiss village of Roggwil. His collection focuses on the natural sciences, history and topography. It is particularly known for its incunabula and manuscripts from the past twelve centuries, for example Hartmann Schedel's excellent world chronicle both in Latin and German as well as the 9th German Bible. Many volumes in the Zesiger collection are preserved in their contemporary bindings and there are a number of editions featuring different illustration techniques. In 1986 the entire collection of some 450 books passed into the ownership of the Münstergasse Library whereas the manuscripts were transferred to the Burgerbibliothek Bern in March 1989.