Overdue books

Protestants and Catholics fought

A war of thirty years; the

Library of Heidelberg,

A treasure greatly revered, was not

To be destroyed.

In Rome it was enjoyed, then a

Notable conversation caused

A gifted return of

Those stolen texts, an

Ecumenical celebration.

The Palatinate Library, along with the rest of Heidelberg, was besieged in 1620. Maximilian of Bavaria commanded that those manuscripts not destroyed in the raid be sent to the Vatican. In 1816, 852 manuscripts were returned to the University of Heidelberg.