Old and rare printed matters

Old and rare printed materials

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The foundation document of the Riga Town Library and first four books. 1524

The collection of rare books. 15th century

The oldest incunabulum in Latvia – a fragment from the textbook in Latin “Catholicon” compiled by J. Balbus from Genoa, printed in Mainz in 1460

Saint Patrick (Jacobus de Voragine. Legenda aurea sive Historia Lombardica. Augsburg, 1471 sive 1472) <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/04-StPatrick.jpg>View larger</a>

Regiomontanus. Calendarium. Nürnberg, 1474

Alexander de Hales. Summa universae theologiae. Nürnberg, 1482 (one of the oldest printed books in the Academic Library of the University of Latvia <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/06-AlexanderDeHales-SummaUniversae-Nuernberg-1482.jpg>View larger</a>

Plenarium. Venezia, 1496 (the only copy in the world)

Missale Viburgense. Lübeck, 1500 (the only copy in the world)

Breviarium Rigensis. Amstelredam, 1513 (the only copy in the world, one of the oldest books printed in Amsterdam) <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/09-Breviarium_Rigensis-Amstelredam-1513.jpg>View larger</a>

Luther M. Der hundert und Sieben und zwentzigst psalm ausgelegt an die Christen zu Rigen ynn Liffland. Wittenberg, 1524 (Luther’s pamphlet addressed to the supporters of Reformation in Riga)

Aeneus Sylvius. Historia Bohemica. Colonia, 1532

Funccius I. Chronolgia. Regiomontum, 1552 (a book from the library of Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland)

Riga doctor and astrologer Z. Stopius compiled the first calendar for Riga for 1565. Printed in Königsberg

Philipp Melanchton. Corpus Doctrinae. Wolfenbuettel, 1576

The oldest printed text in Latvian, so-called Hasentöter’s Lord’s Prayer. Published in “Cosmographia” by Swiss humanist Sebastian Münster. Basel, 1578

Kanizijs P. Catechismus Catholicorum. Vilne, 1585 (facsimile edition, the first book in the Latvian language preserved to nowadays)

Boccius A. Carmen gratulatorium. Riga, 1588 (the first book published in Riga – welcoming poem to Polish king Sigismund III)

“Encomium ... Rigae” by Basilius Plinius, citizen of Riga, was published in Leipzig in 1595

Publications by Plantin of the 16th and 17th centuries

Minshaeus J. The Guide into the tongues. Londinum, 1617 (a book from the library of James I, King of Great Britain)

Mancelius G. Lettisch Vademecum Riga, 1631 (Mancelius that started so-called old orthography in the written Latvian language) <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/21-Mancelius_G-Letisch_Vade_mecum-1631.jpg>View larger</a>

Shakespeare W. Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. London, 1632

Przywileie y Constitvcie Seymowe. Krakow, 1633

The first Latvian language dictionary, published by Gerhardt Schröder in Riga in 1638. The dictionary was compiled by man of letters Georg Manzel, Mancelius and became the basis of all the following dictionaries

Schefferus J. Lappland. Franckfurt am Mayn, Leipzig, 1675

Comenius J. A. Orbis sensualium pictus. Riga, 1682

The first extensive grammar of the Latvian language. Compiled by linguist Heinrich Adolphi. Jelgava, 1685

Ta Swehta Grahmata jeb Deewa Swehtais Wahrds. Riga, 1689 (the first translation of the Bible into Latvian)

Architekt Polski. Krakow, 1690

Publications by Elzevier in the 17th century

A German – Swedish - Polish – Latvian dictionary compiled by linguist Liborius Depkin. Rīga, 1705

Intelmann J. D. Arithmetischer Wegweiser oder nach Ehst- und Liefändischer Handlung gründlich eingerichtetes erstes Revalsches Rechenbuch. Halle, 1736

Holyck G. Neuvermehrtes vierfaches Gartenbuch. Franckfurth, Leipzig, 1739

A collection of the Lord’s Prayer in 152 languages published by Gustav Bergmann, folk-lore specialist and minister, in Rūjiena in 1789

Berens J. Chr. Blatt zur Chronik von Riga mit angezeigten Urkunden. Riga, 1780 (dedicated to Emperor Joseph II on his visit to Riga)

La Constitution Francaise. Paris, 1791 (the first edition of the Constitution of France)

Gorani. Rom und seine Einwohner am Ende des XVIII. Jahrhunderts. Riga, 1794

Merkel G. Die Letten vorzüglich in Livland am Ende des philosophischen Jahrhunderts. Leipzig, 1797 (the author told Europe about Latvians in the 18th century)

Bergmann G. Erste Sammlung lettischer Sinngedichte. Ruien, 1807 (the first collection of Latvian folk-songs)

Statut wielkiego ksiestwa Litewskiego. Sankt-Petersburg, 1811

Concert of J. Strauss’ waltzes in Riga, 26 April 1837 <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/43-Strauss.jpg>View larger</a>

F. Liszt’s concert in Riga, 18 March 1842

František Čelakowsky’s poem translated by Juris Alunāns, 1873 <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/45-Alunans-1873.jpg>View larger</a>

A book written by hand following a sample of medieval manuscript books. Translated and written by Ernests Dinsbergs, Latvian writer and teacher. Dundaga, 1887 <a href=http://www.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/projekti/5mirkli/Iespieddarbi/Dazadi_Akademiska_bibloteka/46-Jana_Arndta_pirma_gramata_par_isto_kristigumu-1887.jpg>View larger</a>

Jacobus de Voragine. Legenda aurea sanctorum sive Lombardica historia. Straßburg, 1490

Merkel, Garlieb Helwig. Die Vorzeit Lieflands : ein Denkmahl des Pfaffen- und Rittergeistes. Berlin, 1798–1799

Полетика, Григорий Андреевич. Словарь на шести языкахъ: Россїйскомъ, Греческомъ, Латинскомъ, Французкомъ, Нѣмецкомъ и Англискомъ. Санктпетербургѣ, 1763

Stenders, Gothards Frīdrihs. Augstas Gudribas Grahmata no Pasaules un Dabbas. Jelgava, Aisputte, 1776

Samples for resolutions and epistles in The Style and Protocol Manual of the Chancellery of France (Le stille et prothocolle de la Chancellerie de France, ensemble le guidon des secretaires, et le vestige des finances. Lyon : Benoist Rigaud, 1577)

Multilingual dictionary by A. W. Schmidt (Anton Wilhelm Schmidt, 1735-1795) from the collection of Prof. J. Lautenbach. Translation of German, French, Italian, English, Latin and Spanish words, topically arranged (Deutsch, Französisch, Italiänisch, Englisch, Lateinisch und Spanisches Wörter-Buch. Nürnberg : gedruckt bey Paul Jonathan Felßecker, 1786)

Annotated collection of Greek and Latin proverbs, compiled by Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (1466?-1536). Includes about 3,000 entries on the topics of politics and morality. Published during the author’s life (Adagiorum opus Des. Erasmi Roterodami. Basileae [Basel] : ex officina Frobeniana, 1528)

Byzantine Greek encyclopedic lexicon of the ancient Mediterranean world, with 30.000 entries. Compiled in Byzantine Empire in the late 10th century (Suida = Σουιδα. Basileæ [Basel] : Apud Hieronymum Frobenum, et Nicolaum Episcopium, mense Augusto, 1544)

Copper engravings for German mathematician and physicist C. E. Wünsch’s (1744-1828) Cosmological conversations about the origin of the world and mankind (Kosmologische Unterhaltungen : Kupfertafeln zu Chr. E. Wünsch's Kosmologische Unterhaltung, 3. Theil. Von dem Menschen. Leipzig : Breitkopf, 1780)

Early collected Latin edition of Bacon's (1561-1626) works, containing treatises and essays on philosophy, morality, politics, history etc. (Francisci Baconi [...] Opera omnia, quæ extant: philosophica, moralia, politica, historica. Francofurti ad Moenum [Franckfurt am Main] : Impensis Joannis Baptistæ Schonwetteri, Typis Matthæi Kempfferi, 1665)

Pictorial book for children from the turn of the 19th century on animals, plants, flowers, fruit, minerals, costume, antiquities etc., simply explained for child’s perception by German benefactor F. J. Bertuch (1747-1822) (Porte-feuille des enfants = Bilderbuch für Kinder / redigé par F. J. Bertuch. Weimar : Bureau d'Industrie, 1802)