Klaus Schmeh’s Encrypted Book List (EBL)

This is a list of encrypted books. Its purpose is to catalog all encrypted books that are known. For the definition of an encrypted book refer to the end of this page. If you know an encrypted book that is not listed here I would be interested to learn about it. If you have information that might answer the open research questions mentioned with each book I would be interested, as well.

 

Voynich Manuscript

00001-Voynich-Manuscript

ID: 00001

Status: unbroken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 230

Content: handwritten note in an unknown script, many illustrations

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown, probably 15th century

Location: Beinecke Library, Yale University

Page scans: https://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3519597

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?
  • Who was the author?
  • Where and when was it created?

Literature:

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_manuscript

 

Codex Rohonci

00002-Codex-Rohonci

ID: 00002

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 448

Content: unknown, illustrations contain biblical motives

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown, probably 16th century

Location: Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Page scans: https://www.dacia.org/codex/original/original.html

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?
  • Who was the author?
  • Where and when was it created?

Literature:

  • Láng, Benedek (2010), Why don’t we decipher an outdated cipher system? The Codex of Rohonc, Cryptologia 34: 115–144
  • Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2013/06/05/top-25-der-ungelosten-verschlusselungen-platz-25-der-codex-rohonci/

 

James Hampton’s Notebook

00003-James-Hampton-Notebook

ID: 00003

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 104

Content: hand-written notes, probably with a Christian background

Author: James Hampton (1909-1964)

Creation time: around 1950

Location: Smithonian Archive

Page scans: https://www.cs.sjsu.edu/faculty/stamp/Hampton/pages.html

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2013/07/03/top-25-der-ungelosten-verschlusselungen-platz-17-das-verschlusselte-notizbuch-des-kunstlers-james-hampton/
  • https://www.focus.de/wissen/mensch/gastkolumnen/schmeh/hampton-kryptogramme-der-kuenstler-und-das-verschluesselte-notizbuch_aid_1019820.html

 

Zauberhandschrift

00004-Kassel-Zauberhandschrift

ID: 00004

Status: broken

Broken by: Sabina Lüdemann, Birgit Pfeil

Number of pages: 90

Content: Treatise on magic

Author: unknown

Creation time: probably 18th century

Location: University Library of Kassel

Page scans: https://orka.bibliothek.uni-kassel.de/viewer/image/1374150101659/3/

Open research questions:

  • Who was the author?
  • Where and when was it created?

Literature:

  • https://blog.ub.uni-kassel.de/ub/2013/08/23/hollenzwang-und-pentagramm-zauberhandschrift-in-der-bb6/

 

Codex Seraphinianus

00005-Codex-Seraphinianus

ID: 00005

Status: unbroken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 127

Content: illustrated encyclopedia of an imaginary world

Author: Luigi Serafini (*1949)

Creation time: 1976-1978

Location: many printed copies available

Page scans: https://www.cetteadressecomportecinquantesignes.com/Luigi.Serafini.-.Codex.Seraphinianus.pdf

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature:

  • www.believermag.com/issues/200705
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Seraphinianus

 

Ancient Mysteries

00006-Ancient-Mysteries

ID: 00006

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: ????

Content: Manifest of the Association of Maiden Unity and Attachment

Author: unknown, probably a member of the Association of Maiden Unity and Attachment

Creation time: 1835

Location: Only known copy is located in the British Library, London (Shelfmark 4783.a.30).

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Encryption has been solved but no decrypted version is available
  • Who was the author?
  • Do other copies exist?

Literature:

  • Klaus Schmeh: Codeknacker gegen Codemacher (3rd edition), W3L 2014
  • https://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13186753

 

Mysteries of Vesta

00007-Mystery-of-Vesta

ID: 00007

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 61

Content: Manifest of the Association of Maiden Unity and Attachment (part 2)

Author: unknown, probably a member of the Association of Maiden Unity and Attachment

Creation time: 1850

Location: Only known copy is located in the British Library, London (Shelfmark 944.c.19).

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Encryption has been solved but no decrypted version is available
  • Who was the author?
  • Do other copies exist?

Literature:

  • Klaus Schmeh: Codeknacker gegen Codemacher (3rd edition), W3L 2014
  • https://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13186753

 

Codex Igo

00008-Codex-Igo

ID: 00008

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 470

Content: Collection of prayers in English and Latin (only parts of the book are translated), the encryption method used is the same (or similar) to the one used in Fabian Humphrey’s Prayer Book (00043).

Author: probably Fabian Humphrey (the author is not named but the similarity with Fabian Humphrey’s prayer book suggests that it was written by the same person)

Creation time: 1571 (on one of the last pages “April 1571” is noted, which is assumed to be the creation time)

Location: British Library, London (Sloane 1360)

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Encryption has been solved but no completely decrypted version is available
  • Who was the author?
  • Why was it encrypted?

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/codex-igo-sloane-1360/
  • Klaus Schmeh: Codeknacker gegen Codemacher (3rd edition), W3L 2014
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2013/12/25/codex-igo-ein-verschluesseltes-buch-aus-dem-jahr-1571/
  • https://archive.org/stream/reliquiaeantiqua02wriguoft/reliquiaeantiqua02wriguoft_djvu.txt (contains a short paragraph about Sloane 1360, dating it to 1546, which is not the year mentioned in the book)

 

Codex Compendium

00009-Codex-Compendium

ID: 00009

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 60

Content: medical book with encrypted foreword and many encrypted notes (cleartext is in Latin)

Author: unknown

Creation time: ca. 1625

Location: Wellcome Library, London (MS 199)

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/codex-compendium-wellcome-library-ms-199/

Open research questions:

  • Encryption has been solved but no complete decrypted version is available
  • Who was the author?

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2013/11/27/der-codex-compendium-ein-teilweise-verschluesseltes-buch-aus-dem-17-jahrhundert/
  • Klaus Schmeh: Codeknacker gegen Codemacher (3rd edition), W3L 2014

 

Subtlety of Witches

ID: 00010

Status: broken

Broken by: Tony Gaffney, Kat Mueller, Rian Hagebeuk

Number of pages: 400

Content: Calepino-type dictionary

Author: unknown

Creation time: probably between 1543 and 1566

Location: British Library (MS Add. 10035), London

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Why was it encrypted?
  • Who was the author?

Literature:

  • Klaus Schmeh: Codeknacker gegen Codemacher (3rd edition), W3L 2014
  • https://reddit.com/r/subteltyofwitches/comments/dg2xx4/what_we_know_about_the_book_and_its_author/

 

Penitentia Manuscript

00011-Penitentia-Manuscript

ID: 00011

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 16

Content: text written in a newly invented writing system

Author: Gordon Rugg

Creation time: ~2010

Location: online

Page scans: https://web.archive.org/web/2012id_/https://www.scm.keele.ac.uk/research/knowledge_modelling/km/people/gordon_rugg/cryptography/penitentia/index.html

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature: https://www.scm.keele.ac.uk/research/knowledge_modelling/km/people/gordon_rugg/cryptography/penitentia/index.html

 

Ricardus Manuscript

00012-Ricardus-Manuscript

ID: 00012

Status: unbroken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 230

Content: text and illustrations ressembling the Voynich manuscript

Author: Gordon Rugg

Creation time: creation is still going on

Location: online

Page scans: https://www.scm.keele.ac.uk/research/knowledge_modelling/km/people/gordon_rugg/cryptography/ricardus_manuscript.html

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature: https://www.scm.keele.ac.uk/research/knowledge_modelling/km/people/gordon_rugg/cryptography/ricardus_manuscript.html

 

Codex Copiale

00013-Codex-Copiale

ID: 00013

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages:105

Content: treatise about a secret society named “Occulists”

Author: unknown, probably member of the Occulists

Creation time: probably between 1760 and 1780

Location: ????

Page scans: https://stp.lingfil.uu.se/~bea/copiale/display150.html

Open research questions:

  • Who was the author?

Literature:

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copiale_cipher
  • https://stp.lingfil.uu.se/~bea/copiale/

 

Blitz Ciphers

00014-Blitz-Ciphers

ID: 00014

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: unknown

Content: text written in an unknown writing system

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown, probably 19th century or older

Location: unknown owner in UK

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?
  • Who was the author?
  • Where and when was it created?
  • Who owns the book today? Can additional page scans be made available?

Literature:

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitz_ciphers
  • https://www.ciphermysteries.com/blitz-ciphers

 

Samuel Pepys’ Diary

00015-Samuel-Pepys-Diary

ID: 00015

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 3,100

Content: diary of British state servant Samuel Pepys, written in an adapted shorthand and containing many code expressions

Author: Samuel Pepys

Creation time: 1660-1669

Location: University of Cambridge

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • none (Pepys’ diary is well researched)

Literature: https://www.pepysdiary.com/

 

Géza Gárdonyi’s Diary

00016-Geza-Gardonyi-Diary

ID: 00016

Status: broken

Broken by: code-breaker and secret agent Ottó Gyürk in 1971

Content: diary of Géza Gárdonyi

Author: Géza Gárdonyi (1863-1922), Hungarian writer and journalist

Creation time: ????

Location: ????

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Almost no information is available in English.

Literature:

  • https://www.tankonyvtar.hu/hu/tartalom/tamop425/0038_matematika_Kalman_Liptai-Cryptography/ch02.html

 

Charles Wesley’s Diary

00017-Charles-Wesley-Diary

ID: 00017

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 1,000

Content: diary of Charles Wesley (1703-1791)

Author: Charles Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement

Creation time: 1736-1756

Location: John Rylands University Library at the University of Manchester

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Additional scans should be made available.

Literature:

  • https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/aug/27/wesley.methodism.diaries
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/2627661/Charles-Wesleys-250-year-old-journals-reveal-fears-that-Church-of-England-could-split.html
  • Heizenrather, Richard: “Decoding Wesley’s Diaries,“ Cryptologia 3/1978

 

Action Line Cryptogram

00018-Action-Line-Cryptogram

ID: 00018

Status: solved

Broken by: Nick Pelling supported by a number of other cryptogram enthusiasts

Number of pages: 9

Content: mnemoic aid for ritual descriptions of the Oddfellows

Author: unknown, probably a memmer of the Oddfellows

Creation time: 1899

Location: several copies are known to exist

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2013/06/07/top-25-der-ungelosten-verschlusselungen-platz-24-das-action-line-kryptogramm/

Open research questions:

  • Summary of cryptographic aspects

Literature:

  • https://www.ciphermysteries.com/action-line-cryptogram
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2014/07/02/action-line-kryptogramm-top-25-krypto-raetsel-nach-78-jahren-geloest/
  • “Action Line” Challenge, CRYPTOLOGIA, vol. II, n. 4, pp. 368-370, October 1978

 

Simeone Levi’s Memoirs

00019-Simeone-Levi-Memoirs

ID: 00019

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 355

Content: memoirs of egyptologist Simeone Levi

Author: Simeone Levi

Creation time: 1900

Location: family of Simeone Levi

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Only small parts of the content are publicley available.

Literature:

 

Beatrix Potter’s Diary

00020-Beatrix-Potter-Diary

ID: 00020

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary of children’s author Beatrix Potter, written in a writing system invented by herself

Author: Beatrix Potter

Creation time: 1881-1897

Location: Beatrix Potter Society

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Additional page scans should be made available.

Literature:

  • Wikipedia (contains one paragraph about Potter’s encrypted journal): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter
  • Harris, Barbara: „A Different Kind of Column, “ Cryptologia, 1/1977
  • Leslie Linder, 2012. „The Journal of Beatrix Potter from 1881 to 1897,“ Warne

 

Antonio Marzi’s Diary

00021-Antonio-Marzi-Diary

ID: 00021

Status: broken

Broken by: Armin Krauß

Number of pages: 100

Content: daily reports of WW2 spy Antonio Marzi

Author: Antonio Marzi, Italian spy and partisan

Creation time: 1944-1945

Location: family of Antonio Marzi

Page scans:

  • http://www.crittologia.eu/storia/critMarzi.html

Open research questions:

  • none (Marz’s diary is well researched)

Literature:

  • https://www.crittologia.eu/critto/php/critMarzi.phtml
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10012872/Italian-resistance-fighters-secret-diary-cracked-by-codebreaker.html
  • https://einestages.spiegel.de/s/tb/28303/geheimes-tagebuch-aus-dem-zweiten-weltkrieg-entschluesselt.html
  • https://www.mysterytwisterc3.org/images/challenges/mtc3-schroedel-03-italienischersoldaten-en.pdf

 

Book of Woo

00022-Book-of-Woo

ID: 00022

Status: unbroken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 4

Content: unknown content, written in a writing system invented by the author

Author: Oliver Knörzer

Creation time: 2013

Location: online

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature: https://www.sandraandwoo.com/2013/07/29/0500-the-book-of-woo/

 

Hugh’s Diary

00023-Hugh-Diary

ID: 00023

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: unknown

Content: Diary of a person named Hugh

Author: an anonymous man, Donald McCormick calls him Hugh

Creation time: 1905

Location: unknown (McCormick is the only source mentioning this diary, but no details about the author and his family are given)

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Who owns the book? Can additional page scans be made available?

Literature: Donald McCormick: Love In Code. Eyre Methuen, London 1980, p. 112

 

Loretta’s Diary

00024-Loretta-Diary

ID: 00024

Status: broken (some parts are still unbroken)

Broken by:

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary of a woman living in the New York area

Author: An anonymous woman, Donald McCormick calls her Loretta

Creation time: 1960’s

Location: unknown (McCormick is the only source mentioning this diary, but no details about the author and his family are given)

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Who owns the book? Can additional page scans be made available?
  • Some parts of the diary have not been deciphered yet (might be difficult, as the author was obviously under drug influence)

Literature: Donald McCormick: Love In Code. Eyre Methuen, London 1980, p. 167

 

Nagybajom Manuscript

00025-Nagybajom-Manuscript

ID: 00025

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: ????

Content: Treatise about Hungarian freemasonry

Author: ????

Creation time: ????

Location: unknown

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • There is almost no information about this book in English.

Literature:

  • https://magyarnarancs.hu/tudomany/az-o-kezirasaval-irodott-a-szabadkomuves-szoveg-vamos-hanna-titkosiras-kutatot-kerdeztuk-86138
  • https://index.hu/tudomany/2013/08/07/az_fbi_sem_torne_fel_a_regi_magyar_kodokat/
  • https://recsrv.iti.mta.hu/rec.iti/Members/szerk/pha/07-Vamos-MagyarArion.pdf

 

William Byrd’s Diary

00026-Byrd-Diary

ID: 00026

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary of William Byrd (planter, slave-owner and author from Virginia)

Author: Colonel William Byrd II (1674-1744)

Creation time: 1709-1712, 1717-1721, 1739-1741

Location: ????

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Page scans should be made available.

Literature:

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Byrd_II
  • David Kahn: The Codebreakers (1996), p. 777

 

Baron Hailsham’s Diary

00027-Quintin-Hogg-Hailsham-Diary

ID: 00027

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary of British politician Quintin Hogg (Baron Hailsham)

Author: Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone (1907-2001)

Creation time: ca.1970 – ca. 1974

Location: Margaret Thatcher Foundation

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • Page scans should be made available?

Literature: https://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/hailsham.asp

 

Ashmole Cryptogram

00028-Ashmole-Cryptogram

ID: 00028

Status: broken

Broken by: Kurt Josten

Number of pages: ?

Content: Includes notes on the creation of sigils and letters from Thomas Hyde offering information on talismans extracted from manuscripts at Oxford. It is also peppered with ritual magic operations and ritual additions to the making of sigils. This manuscript gives the impression that Ashmole was mining astrological image magic texts for magic that worked, and that practical application and experiment, more than the preservation of prior intellectual traditions, drove his activities (source: Klaassen 2013). Five and a half pages are encrypted.

Author: Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) et. al.

Creation time: 17th century

Location: British Library (Sloane 3822)

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2015/08/31/350-jahre-alt-und-ungeloest-das-ashmole-kryptogramm/

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature: Frank Klaassen: The Transformations of Magic: Illicit Learned Magic in the Later Middle Ages and Renaissance. Penn State University Press, 2013, p. 243

 

Bellicorum instrumentorum

00029-Bellicorum-Instrumentorum

ID: 00029

Status: broken

Broken by: Wilhelm Meyer (1845-1917) broke it before 1910

Number of pages: 140

Content: The book describes a wide range of technologies with about 140 illustrations. Many paragraphs are encrypted.

Author: Giovanni da Fontana (ca. 1395 – ca. 1455)

Creation time: ~1420

Location: The only remaining copy is hosted by the State Library of Bavaria in Munich [BSB cod. icon. 242]

Page scans: https://codicon.digitale-sammlungen.de/Blatt_bsb00013084,00001.html

Open research questions:

  • Decrypted version should be made available.

Literature:

  • https://bibliodyssey.blogspot.de/2010/01/bellicorum-instrumentorum-liber.html
  • Horst Kranz, Walter Oberschelp: Mechanisches Memorieren und Chiffrieren um 1430, Franz Steiner Verlag 2009

 

Erik Brahe’s Diary

No picture available

ID: 00030

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary of Swedish government official Erik Brahe (one line per day)

Author: Erik Brahe (1552–1614)

Creation time: 1592-1601

Location: ????

Page scans:

Open research questions:

Literature: David Kahn: The Codebreakers (1996), p. 777

 

Henri-Gatien Bertrand’s Diary

No picture available

ID: 00031

Status: broken

Broken by: Paul Fleuriot de Langle (1949-1959)

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary of Henri-Gatien Bertrand, one of Napoleon’s generals

Author: Henri-Gatien Bertrand (1773-1844)

Creation time: 1816-19, 1821

Location: Archive National, Paris

Page scans:

Open research questions:

 

Literature:

  • https://www.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/chan/chan/AP-pdf/390-AP.pdf
  • Bertrand, Général, Grand Maréchal du Palais: Cahiers de Sainte-Hélène; journal 1816-1817. Manuscrit déchiffré et annoté par Paul Fleuriot de Langle. Paris, Sulliver, 1951
  • Bertrand, Général, Grand Maréchal du Palais: Cahiers de Sainte-Hélène. Journal 1818-1819. Manuscrit déchiffré et annoté par Paul Fleuriot de Langle, Paris, Editions Albain Michel, 1959
  • Bertrand, Général, Grand Maréchal du Palais: Cahiers de Sainte-Hélène Janvier 1821-Mai 1821. Paris, Sulliver, 1950
  • David Kahn: The Codebreakers (1996), p. 777

 

Adelsbach Manuscript

00032-Adelsbach-Manuscript

ID: 00032

Status: broken

Broken by: Jörg Steffen

Number of pages: 60

Content: no detailed description available

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown

Location: Owned by Markus Adelsbach

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/files/2016/03/Adelsbach-Zauberbuch.pdf

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://einestages.spiegel.de/static/image_without_story/24402/_zauberbuch_wer_kann_es_entziffern.html
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2016/03/09/ein-verschluesseltes-zauberbuch-gibt-raetsel-auf/

 

Browne’s Master Key

00033-Browne-Masterkey

ID: 00033

Status: broken

Broken by: solution is available online

Number of pages: 50

Content: Treatise on freemasonry, 11 pages are encrypted

Author: John Browne

Creation time: 1794

Location: Several printed copies are available

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/brownes-master-key/

Open research questions:

  •  Cleartext should be made available

Literature:

  • https://www.ciphermysteries.com/2014/06/20/brownes-master-key-mostly-deciphered#comment-304234
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2014/06/20/verschluesseltes-freimaurer-buch-wer-kann-es-dechiffrieren/

 

Anne Lister’s diary

00034-Anne-Lister-Diary

ID: 00034

Status: broken

Broken by:

Number of pages: 6,600 (27 volumes)

Content: diary of landowner, mountaineer and traveller Anne Lister (1791-1840); about a sixth of the content is encrypted in a substitution code of Lister’s own devising combining letters from Greek and algebra

Author: Anne Lister

Creation time: 1806–1840

Location: ????

Page scans:

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Lister#Diaries
  • https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bradford/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8388000/8388858.stm
  • https://rictornorton.co.uk/lister.htm
  • https://filebin.net/sltl6i1ytozaqtij/Gentleman_Jack_s_Secret_Diary_for_1817__Anne_Lister_s_encoded_journal.pdf?t=7ybuqi3j

 

Elias Ashmole’s diary

ID: 00035

Status: broken

Broken by: Kurt Josten in 1949

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary of Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), English antiquary, politician, officer of arms, astrologer and student of alchemy

Author: Elias Ashmole

Creation time: 1645–1649

Location: ????

Page scans:

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • Kurt Josten (editor): Elias Ashmole 1617–1692. 1996
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Josten
  • Tobias Churton: The Magus of Freemasonry: The Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole.

 

Liber instrumentorum iconographicus

00036-Liber-Instrumentorum

ID: 00036

Status: broken

Broken by: Wilhelm Meyer (1845-1917) broke it before 1910

Number of pages: 140

Content: The book describes a wide range of technologies with many illustrations. Many paragraphs are encrypted.

Author: Giovanni da Fontana (ca. 1395 – ca. 1455)

Creation time: ~1420

Location: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich

Page scans: not available online

Open research questions:

  • Decrypted version should be made available.

Literature: –

 

Secretum de thesauro experimentorum

00037-Secretum-Thesauro

ID: 00037

Status: broken

Broken by: Wilhelm Meyer (1845-1917) broke it before 1910

Number of pages: ?

Content: description of memorization devices

Author: Giovanni da Fontana (ca. 1395 – ca. 1455)

Creation time: ?

Location: Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris

Page scans: not available online

Open research questions:

  • Decrypted version should be made available.

Literature:

  •  https://www.voynich.net/neal/omont.html
  • Lina Bolzoni: The Gallery of Memory, University of Toronto Press, 2001

 

Folger Manuscript

Folger-Cryptogram

ID: 00038

Status: broken

Broken by: Will Baden broke it in 1955

Number of pages: 90

Content: description of Freemason rituals

Author: Robert Folger (1803-1892)

Creation time: 1827

Location: ?

Page scans: not available online

Open research questions:

  • Pages scans should be made available
  • Decrypted version should be made available.

Literature:

  • https://www.themasonictrowel.com/articles/manuscripts/manuscripts/folger_manuscript/the_folger_manuscript_lecture.htm
  • Stephen Brent Morris: The Folger Manuscript: The Cryptanalysis and Interpretation of an American Masonic Manuscript. Masonic Book Club, 1992
  • https://web.archive.org/web/2009id_/https://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/cryptologic_spectrum/unsolved_puzzle.pdf
  • Brent Morris “Fraternal Cryptography” (Cryptologic Spectrum, Summer 1978)

 

Vick Industries Cryptogram

00039-Vick-Industries-Cryptogram

ID: 00039

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 14

Content: Ciphertext consisting of composite individual units

Author: Vir (pseudonym)

Creation time: 2013

Location: online

Page scans: https://web.archive.org/web/2016id_/https://www.vickindustries.com/code.html

Open research questions:

  • What does the content mean?

Literature:

  • https://www.ciphermysteries.com/2013/07/18/vick-industries-cipher-mystery

 

Written Mnemonics: Illustrated by Copious Examples from Moral Philosophy, Science and Religion

00040-Written-Mnemoics

ID: 00040

Status: broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: ?

Content: Freemasonic ritual description

Author: Freemason group known as “The Conservators,” led by Rob Morris

Creation time: 1860

Location: one copy is located at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington, MA

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • The cleartext should be made available

Literature:

  • https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/ciphers/

 

Donald Hill’s Diary

00041-Hill-Diary

ID: 00041

Status: broken

Broken by: Philip Ashton, a mathematician at Surrey University, broke it in 1996

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary of Donald Hill

Author: Donald Hill, prisoner of war in Japan during WW2

Creation time: 1941-1942

Location: family possession

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Page scans should be made available
  • The cleartext should be made available

Literature:

  • Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6dgQ9vgcDU
  • https://personal.maths.surrey.ac.uk/st/P.Aston/decode.html
  • Andro Linklater: The Code of Love: A True Story

 

Cicada 3301 Rune Book

0042-Cicada-Book

ID: 00042

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 58

Content: the unknown content is a part of the Cicada 3301 game

Author: organizers of Cicada 3301

Creation time: 2014

Location: online

Page scans: https://imgur.com/a/8xnWx/all

Open research questions:

  • How can the book be solved

Literature:

  • https://uncovering-cicada.wikia.com/wiki/CICADA_3301_2014_PUZZLE_FACTS_PART_9#comm-9089

 

Fabian Humphrey’s Prayer Book

00043-Humphreys-Prayer-Book

ID: 00043

Status: broken

Broken by: Frank Klaassen broke it in 2014

Number of pages: 1200

Content: Prayers and religious commonplaces. The encryption method used is the same (or similar) to the one used in the Codex Igo (00008)

Author: Fabian Humphrey

Creation time: 1576

Location: Montreal, McClennan Library (McGill University), MS G 177

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Page scans should be malde available
  • The cryptographic aspects should be summarized

Literature:

  • https://societasmagica.org/blog?arc=05-2014#_ftn1

 

Codex Palatinus Germanicus

0044-Codex-Germanicus

ID: 00044

Status: broken

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: 190

Content: Treatise about magic, alchemy, and astrology, a large amount of it is written in cipher

Author: probably a group of alchemists from the Passau area (Niklas Jankowitz, Michael von Prapach, Michel Wulfing)

Creation time: 1426

Location: University Library of Heidelberg

Page scans: https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/cpg597

Open research questions:

  • Cryptographic aspects should be summarized

Literature:

  • https://www.ciphermysteries.com/2009/05/15/cod-pal-germ-597s-cipher
  • Bartsch, Nr. 287; Wilhelm Wattenbach, Alchymey teuczsch, in: AnzfKdVz NF 16 (1869), Sp. 264–268
  • Bernhard Bischoff, Übersicht über die nichtdiplomatischen Geheimschriften des Mittelalters, in: Mitteilungen des Instituts für österreichische Geschichtsforschung 62 (1954), S. 13, Nr. 70, 71; S. 25, Nr. 70, 71
  • Gerhard Eis, Alchymey teuczsch, in: ders., Medizinische Fachprosa des späten Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit, Amsterdam 1982, S. 307–315, zuerst erschienen in: Ostbairische Grenzmarken, Passauer Jahrbuch für Geschichte, Kunst und Volkskunde 1 (1957), S. 11–16

 

Roger Williams Manuscript

00045-Roger-Williams-Book

ID: 00045

Status: broken

Broken by: students of Brown University in Providence, RI, including Lucas Mason-Brown

Number of pages: 234

Content: theologic treatise

Author: Roger Williams

Creation time: around 1680

Location: Brown University, Providence, RI

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Cryptographic aspects should be summarized

Literature:

  • https://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/2012/12/the_roger_williams_code_how_a_team_of_scholars_discovered_the_theologian.html
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2014/07/28/der-roger-williams-code/

 

Cipher Manuscripts

00046-Cipher-Manuscripts

ID: 00046

Status: broken

Broken by: William Wynn Westcott in 1887

Number of pages: 60

Content: Series of magical initiation rituals of the Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn, compendium of magical theory and symbolism

Author: unknown member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Creation time: paper was watermarked in 1809

Location: Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London

Page scans: https://hermetic.com/gdlibrary/cipher/

Open research questions:

  • Origin of the Cipher Manuscripts is unclear

Literature:

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipher_Manuscripts

 

Teenager War Diary

no scan available

ID: 00047

Status: broken

Broken by: historian Irving Finkel broke it in recent years

Number of pages: unknown

Content: war time diary of a teenage girl in Great Britain, partially encrypted with a simple substitution cipher, employing characters from other alphabets, including Greek

Author: anonymous teenage girl

Creation time: 1940’s

Location: unclear; the V&A Museum and the Bishopsgate Institute Library (Great Diary Project Archive) don’t have it; maybe Irving Finkel knows where it is

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details about the diary should be published

Literature:

  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2624200/Confessions-crushes-stolen-kisses-200-years-teenage-diaries.html

 

Elisabeth Van Lew’s Diary

00048-Van-Lew-Diary

ID: 00048

Status: broken

Broken by: David Ryan deciphered it based on a key sheet that was found in van Lew’s watch (the scan above shows the key, not the diary)

Number of pages: unknown

Content: diary of Richmond, Virginia abolitionist and philanthropist, Elisabeth Van Lew (181-1900) who operated a spy ring for the United States during the American Civil War

Author: Elisabeth Van Lew

Creation time: 1860’s

Location: ?

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details about the diary should be published

Literature:

  • https://articles.dailypress.com/1995-05-07/news/9505050238_1_libby-prison-elizabeth-van-lew-david-d-ryan
  • David D. Ryan: A Yankee Spay in Richmond, 1996

 

Master Mason Degree (MMDEG)

MMDeg

ID: 00049

Status: broken

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: unknown

Content: Mnemoic aid for freemason rituals

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown

Location: ?

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details about the book should be published

Literature:

  • https://www.collectorsquest.com/blog/2007/12/17/reading-the-code/

 

Triangular Book (Ex Dono Sapientissimi)

00050-Triangular-Book

ID: 00050

Status: broken

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: 44

Content: Treatise about magic and alchemy

Author: unknown, probably a Freemason

Creation time: ca. 1750

Location: Getty Centre, Los Angeles

Page scans: https://archive.org/details/manlypalmerbox34ms209hall

Open research questions:

  • Origin of the book is unknown

Literature:

  • https://www.jstor.org/stable/981646?seq=6

 

Blue Lodge Masonic Ritual Cipher Book

00051-Blue-Lodge

ID: 00051

Status: broken

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: 126

Content: Masonic treatise

Author: unknown, probably a Freemason

Creation time: 1912

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details are unknown

Literature:

  • https://www.ebay.com/itm/1912-Blue-Lodge-Masonic-Ritual-Cipher-Book-Poss-Arizona-Statehood-Freemasonry-/271301740405

 

Seraphs

00052-Seraphs

ID: 00052

Status: broken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 72

Content: Voynich-like text

Author: Liza Daly

Creation time: 2014

Location: digital

Page scans: https://blog.safaribooksonline.com/2014/11/08/nanogenmo2014-procedurally-generated-mysterious-codex/

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://blog.safaribooksonline.com/2014/11/08/nanogenmo2014-procedurally-generated-mysterious-codex/

 

The Ritual of The Chapter Containing The Work, Lectures and Monitorial of The M.M., P.M., M.E.M. and R.A. Degrees

00053-MM-PM-MEM-RA

ID: 00053

Status: broken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 170

Content: Masonic treatise

Author: H. Wilkinson

Creation time: 1878

Location: Library of Congress, Washington

Page scans: https://archive.org/details/ritualofchapterc00wilk

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://archive.org/details/ritualofchapterc00wilk

 

Magician’s Magic Movements and Ceremonies

00054-Magicians-Magic-Movement

ID: 00054

Status: broken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 266

Content: Masonic treatise

Author: unknown, probably a freemason

Creation time: 1916

Location: Library of Congress

Page scans: https://archive.org/details/magiciansmagicmo00newy

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://archive.org/details/magiciansmagicmo00newy

 

Joseph Russeel’s Diary

00055-Rosseel-Diary

ID: 00055

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary in shorthand

Author: Joseph Russeel

Creation time: 1814

Location: in private ownership

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

Literature:

 

Cylob Cryptogram

00056-Cylo-Cryptogram

ID: 00056

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ?

Content: sequence of geometrical symbols

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown

Location: in private ownership

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • What is this book about?

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2017/02/08/the-top-50-unsolved-encrypted-messages-50-the-cylob-cryptogram/
  • https://cylob.blogspot.de/2007/10/20th-century-voynich-book.html
  • http://cipherfoundation.org/modern-ciphers/cylob-cryptogram/cylob-cryptogram-scans/

 

Clas Livijn’s Diary

0057-Livijn-Almanach-1800

ID: 00057

Status: broken

Broken by: Kent Ramliden

Number of pages: 70

Content: Diary of Clas Livijn

Author: Clas Livijn (1781-1844)

Creation time: 1800

Location: Sweden

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details about the book are not known

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2015/04/03/schwedische-literatur-wissenschaftlerin-sucht-unterstuetzung-beim-knacken-einer-verschluesselung/

 

 

OOEAD

00058-OEAD

ID: 00058

Status: broken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ?

Content: masonic treatise

Author: ?

Creation time: ?

Location: ?

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details about the book are not known

Literature:

  • https://alphacentauri900.blogspot.de/2012/10/cypher-book.html

 

Black Gangster Disciples Document

00059-Black-Gangster-Disciples-Document

ID: 00059

Status: broken

Broken by: GS Klivans

Number of pages: 15

Content: treatise of the “Black Gangster Disciples” gang

Author: member of the Black Gangster Disciples

Creation time: ~2005

Location: US police

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details are not known

Literature:

  • GS Klivans: Gang Secret Codes: Detected. Police and Fire Publishing, 2013

 

Bloods Document

00060-Bloods-Document

ID: 00060

Status: broken

Broken by: GS Klivans

Number of pages: 19

Content: report of a Bloods member

Author: member of the Bloods gang

Creation time: ~2005

Location: US police

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details are not known

Literature:

  • GS Klivans: Gang Secret Codes: Detected. Police and Fire Publishing, 2013

 

Senator

00061-Senator

ID: 00061

Status: broken

Broken by: Joe Nickell

Number of pages: ????

Content: masonic treatise

Author: probably a freemason

Creation time: 1948

Location: private possession (there might be many copies)

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details are not known

Literature:

  • https://www.csicop.org/sb/show/uncovering_secret_messages/

 

Diary of William Thomas Prestwood

00062-Prestwood-Diary

ID: 00062

Status: broken

Broken by: Nathaniel Browder

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary

Author: William Thomas Prestwood (1788-1859)

Creation time: 1808-1850

Location: North Carolina State University Libraries

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Details are not known

Literature:

  • https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/540-the-coded-life-of-william-thomas-prestwood

 

Rilke Cryptogram

00063-Rilke-Cryptogram

ID: 00063

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 184

Content: printed character sequences with unknown meaning

Author: unknown

Creation time: ca. 1944

Location: owned by Dr. Karsten Hansky

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/the-rilke-cryptogram/

Open research questions:

  • purpose of the book is unknown
  • encryption is unsolved

Literature:

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01611194.2022.2092784

 

Diary of Noah John Rondeau

00064-Rondeau-Diary

ID: 00064

Status: broken

Broken by: David Greene

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary and other personal notes

Author: Noah John Rondeau (1883–1967), widely known hermit in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State

Creation time: ca. 1915 – ca. 1967

Location: Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society

Page scans: some are available in the digital collection of the New York State Archive

Open research questions:

  • cryptographic details should be published

Literature:

  • https://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/72015.html

 

Anonymous Cipher Diary

00065-Anonymous-Cipher-Diary

ID: 00065

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ????

Content: diary

Author: unknown

Creation time: 1776-1845

Location: Massachusetts Historical Society

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • content should be published

Literature:

  • https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/2009/05/can-you-crack-the-cipher/

 

Sketchbook Codex

00066-Sketchbook

ID: 00066

Status: partially broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: ?

Content: Numerous texts created with different encryption methods

Author: Brian Raiter

Creation time: 2012

Location: Brooklyn Art Library

Page scans: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/10291

Open research questions:

  • Encryptions should be examined

Literature:

  • https://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/sketch/

 

Ecce Orienti

00067-Ecce-Orienti

ID: 00067

Status: broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: 242

Content:

Author: M. Wilcott Redding

Creation time: 1870

Location: many printed copies exist

Page scans: https://archive.org/details/ecceorientiepito00reddrich

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://haroldsfonts.com/portfolio/essene-dingbats/

 

Fr La To Re

00068-FrLaToRe

ID: 00068

Status: broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: 116

Content: masonic treatise

Author: unknown

Creation time: ~1900

Location: many printed copies exist

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://www.kuenzigbooks.com/pages/books/20209/fraternal-masonic-cipher-ritual/masonic-cipher-ritual-fr-la-to-re

 

Ast Ritual

00069-Ast-Ritual

ID: 00069

Status: broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: 28

Content: masonic treatise

Author: unknown

Creation time: 1822

Location: many printed copies exist

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2011/09/rare-ast-ritual-given-to-library.html

 

Ritual of the Work and Lectures of Ancient Craft Masonery

00070-Ritual-Vermont

ID: 00070

Status: broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: ?

Content: masonic treatise

Author: unknown

Creation time: 1894

Location: many printed copies exist

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://s1122.photobucket.com/user/gub8/media/Cookbooks/Practical%20Cooking%20and%20Dinner%20Keeping%201880/FREEMASONRY/Rituals%20of%20the%20Work%20and%20Lectures/20140722_113007.jpg.html

 

Monoco Manuscript

00071-Monoco-Manuscript Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/desparlsp/3222046287/

ID: 00071

Status: unbroken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 35

Content: unknown

Author: David Esparza Sasin

Creation time: ~2009

Location: Owned by the creator

Page scans: https://www.flickr.com/photos/desparlsp/3222046287/

Open research questions:

  • Solution is unknown

Literature: –

 

Agatha Highfield’s Diary

00072-Highfiled-Diary

ID: 00072

Status: broken

Broken by: participants of National Cipher Challenge 2004

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary of a ficticious woman

Author: organizers of National Cipher Challenge 2004

Creation time: 2003

Location: digital

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • Solution is not documented

Literature:

  • https://www.theguardian.com/education/cipherchallenge/howtoenter/0,,1040141,00.html
  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2015/12/12/das-verschluesselte-tagebuch-der-agatha-highfield/

 

Lane Manuscript

ID: 00073

Status: broken

Broken by: flohansen, Norbert Biermann

Number of pages: 77

Content: handwritten masonic treatise

Author: unknown

Creation time: after 1892

Location: owned by Walter C. Newman

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/files/2016/01/Lane-Manuscript.pdf

Open research questions:

  • Background is not known

Literature:

  • https://wp.me/p3BieR-2fu

 

Natasha Holme’s Diary

00074-Holme-Diary

ID: 00074

Status: ?

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary of Natasha Holme

Author: Natasha Holme

Creation time: 1980’s, 1990’s

Location: owned by author

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • description of encryption methode

Literature:

  • https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1331032-lesbian-crush-diaries-by-natasha-holme

 

Neil’s Diary

00075-Neil-Diary-1

ID: 00075

Status: ?

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary of a man names Neil

Author: internet user named Neil

Creation time: 1980’s, 1990’s

Location: owned by author

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • encryption details

Literature:

  • https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1331032-lesbian-crush-diaries-by-natasha-holme

 

Johannes van Heeck’s cipher manuscript

ID: 00076

Status: broken

Broken by: Nick Pelling

Number of pages: 410

Content: journey description

Author: Johannes van Heeck (1574–1616)

Creation time: ~1600

Location: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • encryption details

Literature:

  • https://www.ciphermysteries.com/2016/02/08/johannes-van-heecks-cipher-manuscript

 

Teenage girl diary

ID: 00077

Status: broken

Broken by: Rui Sousa Silva and Tim Grant

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary

Author: teenage girl

Creation time: ~2003

Location: UK police

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • encryption details

Literature:

  • https://forensiclinguistics.net/The%20Cipher%20Diary%20case.pdf

 

Pietro Giannone’s last poem

00078-Gianone-Poem

ID: 00078

Status: broken

Broken by: Paolo Bonavoglia

Number of pages: 80

Content: poem

Author: Pietro Giannone (1791–1872)

Creation time: ~1870

Location: “Museo del Risorgimento” archive of Modena

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • a complete decipherment has not been published yet

Literature:

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01611194.2015.1087072
  • https://www.crittologia.eu/critto/giannonePoema.html
  • https://www.crittologia.eu/critto/giannoneDecrittato.html

 

Charles Herbert’s diary

no scan available

ID: 00079

Status: broken

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: 208

Content: diary

Author: Charles Herbert (1757-1808)

Creation time: 1776-1780

Location: University of Delaware Library

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • no detailed information available

Literature:

  • https://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/findaids/html/mss0097_0037.html

 

“1984” enciphered in color

00080-1984-in-Color

ID: 00080

Status: broken

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 432

Content: George Orwell’s novel “1984”

Author: Hyo Myoung Kim

Creation time: 2010

Location: digital

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://www.hyomyoungkim.com/books/nineteen-eighty-four-enciphered-in-colour

 

Rebus Book

00081-Rebus-Book

ID: 00081

Status: ?

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 4

Content: Masonic treatise

Author: unknow, probably a Freeemason

Creation time: unknwon

Location: Library & Archive of the Freemasons, London

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2016/08/28/who-can-solve-this-freemasonic-rebus-book

Open research questions:

  • Who wrote the book, when was it written
  • What does it say?

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2016/08/28/who-can-solve-this-freemasonic-rebus-book

 

Russian Notebook

00082-Russian-Notebook

ID: 00082

Status: solved

Broken by: Merzmensch

Number of pages: 5

Content: Outline of a phantasy novel (?)

Author: unknown

Creation time: probably 1980s

Location: owned by somebody in Russia

Page scans: https://uptodatetruth.com/community/topic/2234-zagadochnaya-rukopis-v-staroj-tetradi-proshu-pom/

Open research questions:

  • Origin is unclear

Literature:

  • https://uptodatetruth.com/community/topic/2234-zagadochnaya-rukopis-v-staroj-tetradi-proshu-pom/

 

Tengri 137

00083-Tengri-137

ID: 00083

Status: partially solved

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: ?

Content: mathematical and physical topics

Author: unknown

Creation time: 2016

Location: only exists as a digital document

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/files/2017/01/Tengri-137.pdf

Open research questions:

  • last seven pages are unsolved

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2017/01/29/tengri-137-who-can-solve-this-encrypted-book/

 

Dellschau books

ID: 00084

Status: solved

Broken by: Pete Navarro

Number of pages: several hundreds

Content: treatise about a (probably non-existing) aviation club

Author: Charles Dellschau

Creation time: 1899-1922

Location: several owners

Page scans: https://www.charlesdellschau.com/

Open research questions:

  • systematic overview on cryptograms should be made

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2017/01/31/the-mysterious-paintings-and-cryptograms-of-charles-dellschau/

 

AMMCQ AIYCI

ID: 00085

Status: solved

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: 56

Content: ?

Author: ?

Creation time: 2005

Location: many copies exist

Page scans: http://tiny.cc/AAMCQ_AIYCI_IAOSA_QIEIQ

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://gielev.free.fr/livrecrypte.php

 

Bruno Borges’ books

ID: 00086

Status: solved

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: several hundreds

Content: treatises written by Bruno Borges

Author: Bruno Borges

Creation time: 2017

Location: family of Bruno Borges

Page scans: –

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2017/04/07/alien-obsessed-student-vanishes-and-leaves-behind-encrypted-notes

 

21st Century Voynich Manuscript

ID: 00087

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ~100

Content: unknwon

Author: Donald Fisk

Creation time: 2017

Location: online

Page scans: https://web.onetel.com/~hibou/voynich/generated-voynich-manuscript.html

Open research questions:

  • content and cipher are unknown

Literature:

  • https://web.onetel.com/~hibou/voynich/21stCenturyVoynichManuscript.html

 

Ernest Rinzi’s Journal

00088-Rinzi-Journal

ID: 00088

Status: solved

Broken by: Tony Gaffney

Number of pages: 140

Content: ?

Author: Ernest Rinzi

Creation time: early 20th century

Location: Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Page scans: check here, here and  here

Open research questions:

  • only small part is decrypted

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2017/09/21/a-phantastic-discovery-the-encrypted-journal-of-ernesto-rinzi/

 

Maranatha Puzzle Pigpen Text

ID: 00089

Status: solved

Broken by: Maranatha Puzzle participants

Number of pages: 31

Content: ?

Author: Authors of the Maranatha Puzzle

Creation time: 2006

Location: digital

Page scans: ?

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://mysteriouswritings.com/the-maranatha-puzzles-contentment-page/

Clara’s Diary

ID: 00090

Status: solved

Broken by: John Essex

Number of pages: ?

Content: WW2 diary

Author: a woman named Clara

Creation time: mid 20th century

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • only small part is published

Literature:

  • https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/secret-codes-in-grandmas-diaries-ecddf89b9c88

 

manic_fuzz’ diary

ID: 00091

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: –

Content: teenager diary

Author: anonymous person

Creation time: 1990s (?)

Location: unknown

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • diary is unbroken

Literature:

  • https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3053551

 

Diary of an unknown woman

ID: 00092

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: –

Content: diary

Author: unknown person

Creation time: 20th century

Location: unknown

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • diary is unbroken

Literature:

 

Hindoo Theology, for the Use of Missionaries

ID: 00093

Status: solved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 75

Content: Masonic treatise

Author: unknown person

Creation time: 1814

Location: many copies exist

Page scans: https://www.cryptograms.hcportal.eu/api/uploads/pdf/Hindoo_Theology_for_the_Use_of_Missionaries.pdf

Open research questions:

  • Cleartext is not available.

Literature: https://www.cryptograms.hcportal.eu/web/#/ciphers/22

 

Diary of Siegfried Schwabl

00094-Schwabl-Diary

ID: 00094

Status: solved

Broken by: Klara Gassner

Number of pages: unknown

Content: diary of a woodworker and soldier

Author: Siegfried Schwabl

Creation time: 1930s and 1940s

Location: Montafoner Museen

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • Cleartext is not available.

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2018/11/16/an-encrypted-diary-written-by-an-austrian-servant-and-soldier/

 

Diary of a pedophile priest

ID: 00095

Status: solved

Broken by: ?

Number of pages: unknown

Content: diary of a priest

Author: Pierre C.

Creation time: 1990s

Location: ?

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • Cleartext is not available.

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2019/01/21/can-you-break-this-encrypted-diary-of-a-pedophile-priest/

 

Andrew Fuller’s sermon book

ID: 00096

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content: sermon book of a priest

Author: Andrew Fuller

Creation time: 1780s

Location: ?

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • Cleartext is not available.

Literature:

 

19th century sailor’s diary

ID: 00097

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary of a sailor

Author: ?

Creation time: 19th century

Location: ?

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • Only one page available

Literature:

 

 

Ignaz Meyer’s diary

ID: 00098

Status: solved

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: 370

Content: diary of German teacher and twon writer Ignaz Meyer

Author: Ignaz Meyer

Creation time: 1870-1879

Location: Town Museum of Aichach, Germany

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • Other volumes have been lost

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2019/07/20/the-encrypted-diary-of-ignaz-meyer/
  • https://www.br.de/radio/bayern2/das-seltsame-tagebuch-des-ignaz-meyer100.html

 

MSS-Borg.lat.898

ID: 00099

Status: solved

Broken by: Nada Aldarrab, Kevin Knight, Beáta Megyesi

Number of pages: 408

Content: Latin book that describes how to treat various kinds of symptoms and diseases and reveals other pharmaceptic knowledge or secrets

Author: unknown

Creation time: 17th century

Location: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Page scans: ?

Open research questions:

  • No page scans are available

Literature:

  • https://cl.lingfil.uu.se/~bea/borg/

 

Dorn Manuscript

ID: 00100

Status: unsolved

Broken by: Thomas Bosbach

Number of pages: 7

Content: Excerpt from “Faust” by Goethe

Author: Martin Dorn

Creation time: 2019

Location: Klaus Schmeh

Page scans: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2019/12/10/can-you-decipher-the-dorn-manuscript/#comments

Open research questions:

Literature:

  • https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2019/12/10/can-you-decipher-the-dorn-manuscript/

 

Erich Pieper’s diary

ID: 00101

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ?

Content: Diary of archeology student Erich Pieper

Author: Erich Piper

Creation time: 1928-1931

Location: Thomas Lieschke

Page scans:

Open research questions:

  • solution is unknown

Literature:

 

Europa Redux Manuscript

ID: 00102

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ?

Content: illustrations with unreadable captions

Author: unknown

Creation time: 1941-1945

Location: Honey & Wax Bookseller

Page scans: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Kt1HqpcvP/

Open research questions:

  • solution is unknown
  • origin is unknown

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2020/03/10/the-europa-redux-manuscript-a-fascinating-mystery/

 

Romanian diary

ID: 00103

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 2000

Content: diary

Author: unknown

Creation time: ca. 1993

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • solution is unknown
  • origin is unknown

Literature:

 

VK Manuscript

ID: 00104

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: unknown

Content: unknown

Author: unknown

Creation time: unknown

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions:

  • solution is unknown
  • origin is unknown

Literature:

 

Charles Hafer’s Diary

ID: 00105

Status: solved

Broken by: Bob Bogart

Number of pages: ?

Content: Diary

Author: Charles Hafer (1862-1940)

Creation time: 1904-1907

Location: family possession

Page scans: –

Open research questions: –

Literature: –

 

 

Ludwig Göbel’s notebook

ID: 00106

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 20

Content: notes taken by painter Ludwig Göbel (1889-1964)

Author: Ludwig Göbel

Creation time: 1930s (?)

Location: family possession

Page scans:

Open research questions: plaintext is unknown

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2020/12/09/unsolved-the-encrypted-notebook-of-painter-ludwig-goebel/

 

Freemason book

ID: 00107

Status: solved

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: ?

Content: unknown

Author: unknown

Creation time: 1760

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions: background is unknown

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/?p=22827&preview=true

 

Japanese diary

ID: 00108

Status: solved

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary

Author: ?

Creation time: 1997

Location: unknown

Page scans: https://grapee.jp/22172

Open research questions: –

Literature: https://cryptiana.blogspot.com/2021/01/blog-post.html

 

Gelle Prayer Book

ID: 00109

Status: solved

Broken by: unknown

Number of pages: ?

Content: prayers

Author: ?

Creation time: late 18th century

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions: –

Literature: Benedel Láng: The Rohonc Code

 

Unknown diary

ID: 001110

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary

Author: ?

Creation time: ~2015

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions: plaintext is unknown

Literature: –

 

Emil Klein’s notebook

ID: 00111

Status: solved

Broken by: Armin Krauß

Number of pages: ?

Content: ?

Author: ?

Creation time: ~1944

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions: content is unknown

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2019/12/16/encrypted-notes-created-by-a-german-ww2-soldier/

 

A Captain from Portugal?

ID: 00112

Status: mostly solved

Broken by: Cipherbrain readers

Number of pages:

Content:

Author: Guy de Cointet

Creation time: 1972

Location: 500 copies printed

Page scans:

Open research questions: some pages still unsolved

Literature:

 

A Few Drawings

Quelle/Source: Guy de Cointet Society

ID: 00113

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: 56

Content: ?

Author: Guy de Cointet

Creation time: 1975

Location: 1000 copies printed

Page scans: https://vimeo.com/310600001

Open research questions: content is unknown

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2022/01/18/ein-verschluesseltes-buch-von-guy-de-cointet/

 

Das zweyte Silencium Dei

Quelle/Source: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

ID: 00114

Status: solved

Broken by: Richard Ashrowan

Number of pages: 70

Content: Alchemy

Author: Johann Arndt

Creation time: 1798

Location: Beinecke Library

Page scans: https://collections.library.yale.edu/catalog/10187248

Open research questions: –

Literature:

 

WW1 diary

ID: 00115

Status: solved

Broken by: Armin Krauß

Number of pages: unknown

Content: Diary

Author: unknown

Creation time: 1916

Location: unknown

Page scans: –

Open research questions: Only excerpt is known

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2022/04/30/wer-kann-dieses-verschluesselte-tagebuch-aus-dem-esten-weltkrieg-loesen/

 

Arcturus cryptogram

ID: 00116

Status: unsolved

Broken by: –

Number of pages: unknown

Content: unknown

Author: Robert Crimo (suspected Highland Park murderer)

Creation time: 2022

Location: digital

Page scans: http://zodiackillerciphers.com/robert%20crimo%20-%20arcturus%20encrypted%20book.pdf

Open research questions: encryption is still unsolved

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2022/07/15/die-verschluesselte-nachricht-des-highland-park-amoklaeufers/

 

Book of Soyga

ID: 00117

Status: solved

Broken by: Jim Reeds

Number of pages: 197

Content:  treatise on magic

Author: unknown

Creation time: 16th century

Location: several copies exist

Page scans: –

Open research questions: –

Literature: https://archive.org/details/jimreedssoyga/page/n7/mode/2up

 

Steganographia

ID: 00118

Status: solved

Broken by: Thomas Ernst, Jim Reeds

Number of pages:

Content: Appears to be about magic, but is actually concerned with cryptography and steganography.

Author: Johannes Trithemius

Creation time: 1499

Location: Many copies exist.

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886948
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886957

 

IuminomenaI diary

ID: 00119

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content: Appears to be about magic, but is actually concerned with cryptography and steganography.

Author: Johannes Trithemius

Creation time: 1499

Location: Many copies exist.

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886948
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886957

 

lilvonz diary

ID: 00120

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content: Appears to be about magic, but is actually concerned with cryptography and steganography.

Author: Johannes Trithemius

Creation time: 1499

Location: Many copies exist.

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886948
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886957

 

Calvinyl diary

ID: 00121

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content:

Author:

Creation time:

Location:

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886948
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0161-119891886957

 

General-Farm-4655 diary

ID: 00122

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content:

Author:

Creation time:

Location:

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

 

Starguything diary

ID: 00123

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content:

Author:

Creation time:

Location: .

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

 

Thapenguino diary

ID: 00124

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content:

Author:

Creation time:

Location:

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

 

Jwfraustro diary

ID: 00125

Status: solved

Broken by:

Number of pages:

Content:

Author:

Creation time:

Location:

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

 

Tractatus de instrumentis artis memorie

ID: 00126

Status: solved

Broken by: ?

Number of pages:

Content:

Author: Johannes Fontana

Creation time: 1430

Location: ?

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature:

 

RICEGENOClDE diary

ID: 00127

Status: solved

Broken by: Jew-Lee Lann

Number of pages:

Content:

Author: ?

Creation time: ~2015

Location: ?

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2022/12/14/wer-kann-diese-verschluesselten-tagebuecher-dechiffrieren/

 

Roachtoom diary

ID: 00128

Status: solved

Broken by: Jew-Lee Lann

Number of pages:

Content:

Author: ?

Creation time: ~2015

Location: ?

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2022/12/14/wer-kann-diese-verschluesselten-tagebuecher-dechiffrieren/

 

gacha_ive-NSFW diary

ID: 00129

Status: solved

Broken by: Jew-Lee Lann

Number of pages: ?

Content: diary

Author: ?

Creation time: ~2015

Location: ?

Page scans:

Open research questions: –

Literature: https://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2022/12/14/wer-kann-diese-verschluesselten-tagebuecher-dechiffrieren/

 

 

Criteria

This list catalogs encrypted books. A document qualifies as encrypted if it has been coded for secrecy (or at least this must be a plausible hypothesis). A document is considered a book if the content is typical for a book (e.g. diary, memoirs, novel, law collection), or if the document has the appearance of a book. This list contains books that are completely encrypted as well as books in which significant parts (e.g. several pages) are encrypted.

 

Candidates

The following books are candidates for the encrypted book list:

  1. Masonic Treatise (1802) https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/ritual/finch.pdf
  2. Encrypted diary from Plunkett Collection: https://sources.nli.ie/Record/MS_UR_056121
  3. Oliver Hart’s dairy: https://library.sc.edu/digital/collections/tennentowensabout.html, https://digital.library.sbts.edu/handle/10392/3193, https://129.252.189.70/record=b1350782
  4. Simonds D’Ewes’ diary
  5. John Dee: MONAS HIEROGLYPHICA (‘THE HIEROGLYPHIC MONAD’), according to “Tobias Churton: The Magus of Freemasonry: The Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole” there is an encrypted version of this book
  6. https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/ciphers/
  7. Bachter: Dechiffriertabelle für magische Alphabete in Gotha. Damit konnte man dann “Texte” herstellen, um Luzifer herbeizuzwingen und wieder wegzuschicken. Literaturangaben in Diss von Bachter. “Verschlüsselte” Stellen kommen in den Zauberbüchern des 18. Jahrhunderts vor, in den späteren Drucken werden sie typographisch zu aufwendig. Eine Ausnahme vielleicht Scheibles “Handschriftliche Schätze aus Zauberbüchern” Stuttgart ca. 1849. Oder Horst “Zauberbibliothek”.
  8. https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Masonic-Written-Typical-Shorthand/dp/images/B0032ZNK3Y
  9. https://www.ebay.de/itm/RARE-1894-ANTIQUE-FREEMASONRY-RITUALS-BOOK-Masonic-Written-Code-ONLY-1-FOUND-/380957357062?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item58b2d3f406
  10. https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/165627515/kryptische-freimaurer-chiffre-buch
  11. https://www.clusterflock.org/2008/04/king-solomon-and-his-followers-a-valuable-aid-to-the-memory.html
  12. A Message in Code: The Diary of Richard Rumbold, 1932-60
  13. Rev. Jonathan Fisher (1767-1847), a Maine minister who devised his own phonetic code and recorded all his sermons and diaries in it: https://www.jonathanfisherhouse.org/
  14. ‘The receipt book of Elizabeth Raper; and a portion of her cipher journal’ – this is a printed book (publ. Nonsuch Press1924) and contains no images of the cipher. It is presumably still kept by the Grant family – Great great grandson Bartlett Grant and his son Duncan Grant were responsible for the book.
  15. Francis Beaufort’s diary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Beaufort, https://www.irishtimes.com/news/beaufort-s-scandals-1.52844
  16. Monmoth (costs 36$): https://www.jstor.org/stable/548575?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
  17. Gertrud Maria Rösch: Codes, geheimtext  und Verschlüsselung (p.28)
  18. Encrypted diary: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/N13677160

 

Not on the List

The following books have not been included:

  • Gorrequer’s secret diary (National Archives): It’s a secret diary but not an encrypted one.
  • William Pitt Lawrence’s diary: Contains only a few encrypted lines.
  • Karel Hynek Mácha’s diary: Contains only a few encrypted lines.
  • The female Confederate spy Rose O’Neale Greenhow kept a diary that was believed to be written in code. However, it turned out to be bad penmanship.
  • Day Joyce’s diary (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_Joyce_Sheet): is not really a diary and is not encrypted
  • Quilt diary: Contains only a few encrypted lines. Description: “A silk and ribbon cot quilt from Deal Castle (1690-1720) is shown for the first time with portraits of the children who slept beneath it and the maker’s diary written in code, which reveals political intrigue and family life in the 18th century.” Information from the V&A Museum: The diary is actually written in a variation of shorthand rather than code, and is not actually in the V&A collection – it was loaned to them from a private collection for the duration of a 2010 exhibition of quilts. There is a chapter about it and the cot quilt in the catalogue from that exhibition, which is available in the National Art Library located at the V&A. Registering as a reader can be done via the website, and is free, but it is usually advisable to request books at least one day in advance.
  • https://culturalmormoncafeteria.blogspot.de/search/label/Cipher
  • Protokollbuch des studentischen Constantistenordens (Neremberg): Only small parts are encrypted.
  • Alfred Moore’s diary (no encryption, just numbers): https://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/civil_war/diaries_journals/moore/
  • Joseph W. Ely’s diary (only small parts encrypted): https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/the-codes-of-war/?_r=0

Kommentare (28)

  1. #1 Lercherl
    8. Dezember 2013
    • #2 Klaus Schmeh
      8. Dezember 2013

      Danke, habe ich aufgenommen.

  2. #3 Armin
    8. Dezember 2013

    Bei den gelösten Büchern wäre es vielleicht noch interessant, die jeweils verwendete Verschlüsselungsmethode anzugeben.

    • #4 Klaus Schmeh
      9. Dezember 2013

      Danke für den Hinweis. Werde ich vielleicht bei Gelegenheit tun.

  3. #5 Robert
    24. April 2014

    Zu 00029: Schulte, Heinrich:
    Transkription der Geheimschrift in des Johannes de Fontana Bellicorum instrumentorum liber – BSB Cod.icon. 242 a
    München 1910 unter https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0001/bsb00015141/image_1

    • #6 Klaus Schmeh
      29. April 2014

      Vielen Dank für den Hinweis.

  4. #7 Torsten Krueger
    Berlin
    26. Mai 2014

    Guten Tag Herr Schmeh,
    nachdem ich heute den Artikel zu Ihnen in Fokus Online gelesen hatte bin ich auf Ihrer Seite gelandet. Ich bin absoluter Laie, finde solcherlei aber dennoch ab und an interessant. Eine Frage dazu, speziell zum Codex Igo, noch spezieller zur illustrierenden Abbildung: ich beneide ja Menschen, die ein einheitliches und sauberes Schriftbild beherrschen, aber die Buchstaben und Zahlen (?) in der Abbildung sind, soweit ich das in Photoshop mal schnell ausprobiert habe, von bemerkenswerter Ähnlichkeit, sprich, viele passen, obwohl an verschiedenen Stellen, überraschend deckungsgleich übereinander. Nun bin ich kein Verschwörungstheoretiker, noch in historschen Dingen geschult, aber waren Verfasser des ausgehenden 16. Jhds. wirklich dermaßen versiert im Schreiben? Nichts für ungut, aber ich finde das faszinierend. Ist das Bild nur eine Art Beispielbild? Ich fürchte, mich gerade etwas lächerlich zu machen.
    Mit freundlichen Grüßen
    Torsten Krueger

    • #8 Klaus Schmeh
      26. Mai 2014

      >Ich fürchte, mich gerade etwas lächerlich zu machen.
      Das tun Sie keineswegs. Sie haben vollkommen Recht, es handelt sich nicht um das Original des Codex Igo, sondern um eine von mir mit dem Computer erstellte Abschrift. Der Grund dafür: Die British Library verlangt hohe Gebühren für den Abdruck von Manuskript-Scans. Das ist für mich sehr ärgerlich, da ich eine ganze Reihe hochinteressanter verschlüsselter Bücher dort gefunden habe. Ich habe Scans davon, darf sie aber nicht veröffentlichen. Ich stelle sie aber auf Wunsch gerne zur Verfügung.

  5. #9 Bernhard Gruber
    10. Juli 2014

    … die 00018 kann somit auf “broken” gesetzt werden!

    • #10 Klaus Schmeh
      10. Juli 2014

      Stimmt, das habe ich gerade gemacht.

  6. #11 Kent
    10. April 2015

    We are happy to report that a number of sections of Joseph Rosseel’s Diary have now been solved. This refers primarily to the “War News sections”, though we have also some decryptions among personal notes and gossip from Europe but the main war news areas uncovered so far concern:

    1. Reporting on the capture of the USS Essex by English ships HMS Cerub and HMS Phoebe and the relative gun strengths deployed in this battle (at Valparaiso on March 28, 1814 but reported months later in the diary)

    2. News of US General Jacob Browns victory at Chippawa on 5 July 1814 and President Madison’s militia levy of 93,500 men on July 14.

    3. A report on the full complement of an English regiment encountered during the siege of Fort Erie in August 1814.

    4. The news that the English had captured Washington on August 24, 1814 and notes about the number of prisoners and negotiations.

    Similar to the so called “Chaumont letter” from 1817, the system in the diary is Thevenot’s tachygrafie. So excellent progress but still many pages of secrets for interested persons to work on: open offer. And again thanks for the helpful suggestions.

  7. #12 Jasmina
    3. Mai 2015

    Der Link zu HR online bei der Zauberhandschrift (ID: 00004) funktioniert nicht. Es gibt aber einen anderen Artikel, in dem sich einige Informationen finden:
    https://blog.ub.uni-kassel.de/ub/2013/08/23/hollenzwang-und-pentagramm-zauberhandschrift-in-der-bb6/

    • #13 Klaus Schmeh
      3. Mai 2015

      Danke für den Hinweis. Habe ich korrigiert.

  8. […] seen “Written Mnemonics” mentioned in a number of places (most notably in Klaus Schmeh’s online list of encrypted books), but had never seen it up close and personal, even though it was quite a well-known historical […]

  9. #15 Fred Porcheddu
    13. Juni 2015

    Can you tell me the name of the breaker of the British Library Additional MS 10035 cipher (“The Subtelty of Witches,” 1657)? I’m interested in writing a study of the manuscript and its text, and would like to include the information!

    Thanks,
    Dr. Fred Porcheddu
    Denison University

    • #16 Klaus Schmeh
      13. Juni 2015

      Yes, I will send you a mail.

  10. #17 Mike
    Artemis Fowl Novels by Eoin Colfer
    5. Januar 2016

    Superb list of encrypted books, Klaus!

    Along the base of each page in each of the Artemis Fowl Novels by Eoin Colfer are strange runes. Colfer even challenges the reader to try and work out what the secret messages are hidden in the “Fowl” runes. Not on the list yet.

    • #18 Klaus Schmeh
      9. Januar 2016

      Thanks for the hint. I’m not sure whether this book fits on this list, however it might be interesting for a blog post.

  11. #20 Lars Dietz
    qokedy daiin
    11. Februar 2016
    • #21 Klaus Schmeh
      16. April 2016

      Danke, das nehme ich auf.

  12. #22 Paolo Bonavoglia
    Venezia
    18. Juli 2016

    Klaus, I wrote you a mail about this encrypted poem recently broken: https://www.crittologia.eu/critto/giannonePoema.html

    Hope the email I had is still good!

    • #23 Klaus Schmeh
      18. Juli 2016

      Thanks, I received you mail. Very interesting, I’ll be in touch.

  13. #24 Lost
    5. September 2016

    https://uptodatetruth.com/community/topic/2234-zagadochnaya-rukopis-v-staroj-tetradi-proshu-pom/

    This was straight-forward substitution cypher of Russian Cyrillic and the solution is now posted at the bottom of the page.

  14. #25 Thomas R Mazanec
    Twinsburg
    22. Juli 2020

    Since the pagination of the Codex Seraphinianus (ID 00005) is meaningful, perhaps there is meaning in the text?

  15. #26 Thomas R Mazanec
    Twinsburg
    24. Juli 2020

    As of 7-24-20, and counting ? as unbroken and partially broken as broken (three of each), there are 79 broken and 25 unbroken on this list.

  16. #27 Thomas R Mazanec
    Twinsburg
    24. Juli 2020

    Perhaps it is the link which is preventing my comment from being shown.
    The author has published an English version of the Book of Woo (ID 00022). You can google this.

  17. #28 Thomas R Mazanec
    Twinsburg
    26. Juli 2020

    The page scan and literature URLs for the Penitentia Manuscript (ID 00011) and Ricardus Manuscript (ID 00012) are broken off.