Akadēmiskais centrsPrinted matters
Old and rare printed matters
The Academic Library of the University of Latvia has been keeping the collection of the Riga Town Library (Bibliotheca Rigensis) since its foundation in 1524 during the Reformation.
The oldest books of the European printed book collection are 210 incunabula printed during J. Gutenberg and his successors’ time – up to 1500. The oldest incunabulum is one page from the Latin textbook Catholicon that might have been printed in Mainz by Gutenberg himself in 1460. The parchment edition of Missale Viburgense printed in Lübeck in 1500 and Plenarium published in Venetia in 1496 are the only copies known in the world. Most incunabula have preserved their original bindings – heavy wooden covers, upholstered with ornamental leather, metal mountings, clasps and chains.
The European book printing is widely represented by works of D. Erasmus, Petrarch, Juvenal, Cicero, Aesop, Livy et al. It is also represented by works of many outstanding book publishers, such as C. Plantinus, Elzevir, Aldus Manutius, J. Froben et al. The most important among them are publications dedicated to Riga or comprising information on the Baltic region. There are unique M. Luther’s works published in Wittenberg, mainly of polemic character, several of which were addressed to like-minded persons in Riga, Tartu and Tallinn to promote secular education and to encourage founding of schools and libraries.
The beginning of Latvian book collection is connected with books compiled by G. Manzel, Mancelius in the 17th century. In the Library there is the most extensive collection in Latvia of the publications by the first Riga book printer N. Mollyn, who was active in Riga 1588–1625. The collection of rare books also reflects the production of other Riga and Jelgava printing houses in the following centuries. E. Glück’s translation of the Bible, printed in J. G. Wilken’s printing-house in 1689–1695, was the largest printed item in the Latvian language till the turn of the 20th century when K. Barons’s Latvju Dainas were published. Among its valuables are: a calendar collection, beginning with astrological prognostication published by N. Mollyn in 1592, and a big collection of periodicals, beginning with the first Riga newspaper Rigische Novellen in the 17th century and the first Latvian-language periodical Latviešu Ārste (1768).
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UL professor Peter Schmidt’s (Pēteris Šmits) book collection
Peter Schmidt (Pēteris Šmits, 1869–1938) was an outstanding linguist, ethnographer, ethnologist, folklore specialist and sinologist. He chose philology as the main trend of his studies: Slavic Philology in Moscow University (1891–1892), studies of Oriental Languages in St. Petersburg University (1892–1896) and in Peking University (1896–1899). Since 1899 P. Schmidt was the acting professor of Manchu and Chinese grammar in the Far Eastern Institute of Wladiwostok. In 1902 the young scientist presented his dissertation on the grammar of Chinese Mandarin („Опыт мандаринской грамматики с текстами для упражнений”). In 1920 P. Schmidt came back to his native land and continued his employment at the University of Latvia (1920–1938). His scientific work was mainly devoted to linguistics. P. Schmidt was the only European scientist who had visited nearly all Manchu and Tungusic tribes and carried out large-scale research on the languages of these tribes.
The University of Latvia has come into possession of an invaluable special collection of 2162 books. This collection contains exclusive witnesses of the past - incunables of the 16th century, as well as the first Latvian editions of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Library of UL is proud of having probably the only surviving prints in Manchu and Chinese, cased in particular textile binding with bone pins.
The most significant value and content relevance of P. Schmidt’s collection constitutes works on Oriental studies: sinology, manjuristics, altaistics, mongolistics, japanistics etc. There are unique editions in languages of Siberian and Far East Russia folks, and the first methodical aids of teaching these languages. The donation includes texts in Chinese, Manchu, Japanese, Mongol, Evenki (Tungus), Udekhe, Nanai and other languages. The pearls of this collection are rare Chinese and Manchu books and manuscripts, especially woodcuts.
The exhibition offers to look closely at Prof. Peter Schmidt’s thesis (1902) on the grammar of Chinese Mandarin, proposing absolutely new teaching method, as well as some historical antiquities: the first Chinese grammar textbook in Russia (1835), and original Chinese and Manchu editions. The collection exposes also the only one extand item of the very first Evenki textbook, written in Roman characters.VIEW IMAGES
Materials of Ernst Felsberg's and the Art Cabinet of the UL collection
Ernst Felsberg (1866–1928) was the first rector of the University of Latvia and a professional art historian. In 1920 E. Felsberg started his work in the Latvia Higher School (later the University of Latvia) as a professor, but in September of 1920 he was nominated as acting rector (confirmed in this post in 1922). The Professor remained in the rector’s post till summer of 1923. Professor E. Felsberg had also been the creator of the exposition of the Art Cabinet of the University of Latvia. Thanks to the enthusiasm and initiative of E. Felsberg, the Art Cabinet of the University of Latvia obtained a generous collection of art objects and books.
The subject-matter of the collection is art history of the world, including classical editions of art history, literature on antique art, cultural heritage of ancient Egypt and its archaeological research, works about Renaissance artists and other editions. These editions are suited to art studies of various periods and art fields. The books and graphic materials of E. Felsberg’s and the Art Cabinet of the UL collection is the most comprehensive and valuable collection of this kind at the beginning of the 20th century.
The exhibition exposes E. Felsberg’s thesis “The Brothers Gracchi”, defended at Dorpat University in 1910, illustrative albums of Greek and Roman antiquities, books on ancient coins as art work, and on Chinese porcelain as a phenomenon of art, as well as an item from the topical series “Decorative Art Patterns” and an artist’s book of limited handmade edition.