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Primary sourceBookc. 1200

Wiesbaden Codex

Hildegard of Bingen · c. 1200

A giant manuscript compiling nearly all of Hildegard's works, including her letters, music and invented language, assembled around the time of her death.

This codex preserves nearly all of Hildegard's writings, compiled by her community as she approved editorial changes near the end of her life.

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A large open medieval manuscript codex lies on a dark display stand in a glass case, with a metal chain attached to its binding and a white label reading 'Rupert' at the bottom. The pages show black text in columns and red decorated initials.
Wiesbaden Codex (Riesencodex), c. 1200. University and State Library RheinMain, Wiesbaden.

About this source

What it is

The Wiesbaden Codex, also called the Riesencodex ('giant codex'), is a huge manuscript weighing 15 kg, dating from around 1200. It was started at the end of Hildegard's life or just after her death, at the urging of Guibert of Gembloux, her final secretary, and contains nearly all her writings except her medical works, with Volmar's original format.

Why it matters

According to scholar Lieven Van Acker, Hildegard agreed to the editorial changes made by Guibert and her secretaries before her death. The codex preserved her letters, music and even her invented language, the Lingua Ignota, and survived looting, wartime bombing and Soviet control in the centuries after. It shows how Hildegard's community worked to secure her legacy as an author.

Look closer

  • Why might Hildegard's secretaries have wanted to compile all her works into one giant book?
  • What does the codex's survival through war and seizure tell us about how societies value historical documents?
  • What might be missing from a collection edited by someone other than the author?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hildegard of Bingen on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Front cover of an old manuscript volume bound in worn reddish-brown leather with a dark spine featuring raised bands and small gold floral tooling at the corners and gold edge rules. The cover is scratched and stained.Document

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Dendermonde Codex

Hildegard of Bingen · c. 1175

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Hildegard of Bingen · c. 1200 (manuscript copies)

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