Bibliotheca Augusta, jos istorija ir lietuviškos knygos
Bibliotheca Augusta, Its History and Lithuanian Books

Summary/Abstract: Duke Julius (1528-1589) is considered to be the founder of the Wolfenbüttel library. However, it was Duke Augustus who brought the library most fame. The library named after him at that time became one of the best in Europe, accumulating a collection of about 135 000 titles (around 40 000 volumes), including especially rare books. The manuscript of the 16th-century Lithuanian Wolfenbüttel Postilla is also kept there (Jolanta Gelumbeckaite’s review discusses this work in greater detail, see pages 173-194 of this ALt volume). Augustus himself recorded it in his famous catalogue in 1648-1649 (HAB sign.: Cod. Guelf. 11. 2 Aug 20). His interest in Lithuanian books is evidenced by the letters of Helmstädt Professor Hermann Conring and Elector Friderich Wilhelm (the letter of the latter is missing, but its subject matter is known from the transcript of the librarian Jacob Burckhard), dealing with the receipt of Daniel Klein’s grammars Grammatica Lituanica (1653) and Compendium Lituanico-Germanicum (1654). The paper discusses also the routes of some other Lithuanian books or books connected with Lithuania to the Wolfenbüttel library. Moreover, it publishes the autographs of Martynas Mazvydas and Baltramiejus Vilentas discovered at the library. These authors of the Lithuanian written language signed the document of the General Prussian Church Convention dated September 8, 1554, which condemns Osiandrianism (sign.: Cod. Guelf. 194. 2 Extrav., 171r-177v). The autographs of Mazvydas and Vilentas dated a few days thereafter are presented in the paper of Alma Braziuniene (see pages 167-170 of this ALt volume).

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