Systematisches Repertorium zur Buchzensur 1814-1917. Indexkongregation. Inquisition

Although it was in the natural interest of the Inquisition and the Congregation of the Index to disseminate their prohibition judgements, they were careful to ensure that no one could call their decision-making processes into question. Who was behind the bans, how were the decisions made and, above all, which books were investigated but not banned? The answers to these questions were a closely guarded secret for a long time. These repertories lift the veil. The cardinals and censors that participated in each session have been identified for all sessions of the Congregation of the Index from 1814 to 1917. Furthermore, the agendas, prohibition broadsides and corresponding expert reports have been determined, along with their authors, while the books under examination have been bibliographically documented in accordance with present-day standards. All the Inquisition's censorial reports are here described in a detailed review of the relevant series of files and, in addition, attached books, articles, manuscripts and essays have been identified. The repertories are not only a convenient research tool on the Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, they also provide an overall impression of the censorship activities carried out by the Inquisition and the Congregation of the Index.

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Published in the series "Basic Research on the Roman Inquisition and the Congregation of the Index": Hubert WOLF (ed.), carried out by Sabine SCHRATZ, Jan Dirk BUSEMANN and Andreas PIETSCH, Systematisches Repertorium zur Buchzensur 1814-1917, Indexkongregation und Inquisition (Römische Inquisition und Indexkongregation. Grundlagenforschung II: 1814-1917), Paderborn et alibi 2005, XX, 1087 pages (2 volumes), hardcover, ISBN: 9783506713872.