Blog post of the Gotha Research Library: Desired and Moved: The Trans-Atlantic Journey of a Late Medieval Fighting Manual

Up until the Second World War, one of the most significant collections of fighting manuals in Europe was found in the Ducal Library of Gotha. It included an illustrated instructional guide to single combat in full armor with spear, sword, and dagger. A few years ago, it was discovered that this manuscript from the beginning of the 15th century is now preserved on the other side of the Atlantic in the Paul Mellon Collection of the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut. By what means and for what reasons did this manuscript travel across national borders?