It was certainly no easy task presenting 19 publications within half an hour in way that would meet the expectations of a first-class scholarly audience, but MGH President Prof. Dr Hartmann and her deputy Prof. Dr Petersen passed the test with flying colours. In the well filled reading room, the audience, among whom a number of the authors themselves were present, followed the entertaining book presentation with appreciative attention.
Once again, the book presentation clearly illustrated the ongoing importance of MGH editions for historical studies. Whether it be it the analysis of the Bamberg chronicles - a text corpus of immense importance for the history of the 11th and 12th centuries -, or the edition of a newly discovered epistle collection from Innsbruck which is expected to give Hohenstaufen studies new impulses: the new MGH publications 2017-2018 lay the groundwork for a wide spectrum of scholarly research. The presentation began with a commemoration of the late MGH president, Prof. Dr Rudolf Schieffer, who died shortly after the publication of the second volume of his edition of the Epistulae of Hinkmar of Reims in September 2018. In the long tradition of large MGH edition projects, the Munich institute will undertake the completion of the third and final volume of this series using Schieffer's preliminary studies: the work of a lifetime shall thus not be lost but carried on by a new generation of scholars. In this context, Prof. Hartmann took occasion to thank all of the editors working, some of whom on volunteer basis, to further this great and important mission, without whose contributions the MGH would scarcely be able to fulfil its research mandate. After the presentation over a glass of wine (or rather beer: we are in Munich after all), both guests and MGH staff alike showed themselves not just to be passionate scholars but also open to convivial discussion.