Piiblite ja Uute Testamentide loendus Lõuna-Eestis 1845. aastal
The 1845 Census of Bibles and New Testaments in Southern Estonia

Summary/Abstract: Although the South Estonian New Testament (Wastne Testament, 1686) was published in the 17th century and the North Estonian Bible (Piibli Ramat, 1739) saw light in the 18th century, it was not until the 19th century that the Book aquired an essential position in the life of the Estonian people. From 1822–1847 altogether 22,000 Bibles were published in Estonia, while 135,000 copies of the New Testament (calculated jointly for both North-Estonian and South-Estonian versions) were issued from 1815–1850. As the North American Bible Society wished to help Estonians in the procurement of the Holy Writ a census was organized in 1845 to get an idea of its presence and demand. Answers of 29 South Estonian pastors to the presented questionnaire have survived. These reveal that 54.4 percent of the families owned a copy of the New Testament, while the Bible had been acquired by 9.5 percent. In total, 27,665 Bibles and New Testaments (South and North Estonian all told) were counted in Southern Estonia. Most of the copies (77,6%) were concentrated in the counties of Tartumaa and Viljandimaa. In the early 19th century many parishes still had very few Bibles, because – according to the pastors – the Book was expensive and the people were poor. The most active dealers in the Holy Writ were local departments of the Russian Bible Society and its support societies in different parishes.

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