Rare 400-year-old book stolen is returned to Croatia’s national library

by croatiaweek
November 18, 2020
in News

Trinum magicum sive Secretorum magicorum opus continens

The book presented in Zagreb on Tuesday (Photo source: Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u Zagrebu/author: Sonja Hrelja)

ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) – The National and University Library (NSK) in Zagreb on Tuesday repossessed a rare copy of the “Trinum magicum sive Secretorum magicorum opus continens” book which dates back to 1614 and which was stolen from the library’s holding in 1987.

The copy of the book by author Caesare Longinus was officially given back by Croatia’s Ambassador to Italy, Jasen Mesic, and Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek at today’s ceremony.

(Photo source: Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u Zagrebu/author: Sonja Hrelja)

Last year, another stolen book titled “Selenographia sive Lunae descriptio atque accurata tam macularum eius, quam motuum diversorum … delineati” by author Johannes Hevelius was given back to the NSK in July 2019.

(Photo source: Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u Zagrebu/author: Sonja Hrelja)

(Photo source: Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u

The books were taken away by a three-member group led by Aleksandar Miller who stole books from the NSK’s holdings from 1982 to 1987. Some of the valuable books that were stolen have been retrieved in the meantime.