Chemical and Microscopical Examination of the Dvůr Králové and Zelená Hora Manuscripts Performed between 1886 and 1889

Abstract

By now 200 years have passed since the Dvůr Králové and Zelená Hora manuscripts were discovered and about 130 years from the first detailed chemical and microscopical examination of the former, performed by two Czech chemists, Vojtěch Šafařík and Antonín Bělohoubek. In spite of the thoroughness of the chemical analyses and microscopical observations, results were not convincing enough to confirm or disprove supposed age of the manuscript. Ambiguity of the examination results caused a violent controversy between apologists and adversaries of the manuscript authenticity. Particularly the report of Bělohoubek, though very accurate, was more or less wrongfully criticized. In fact, in chemical aspects this controversy is not finally solved yet because the manuscripts have not so far been examined by up-to-date physico-chemical and physical analytical methods.