Polish Jesuit books from the Riga Jesuit College Library (1583–1621) in the context of Polish and Latvian cultural and historical heritage

Abstract

The Riga Jesuit College library (1583‒1621) is one of the libraries relocated by Swedish King Gustav II Adolf from Riga to Sweden in 1621 and donated to the newly founded library at Uppsala University. The Riga Jesuit College was an institution in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where a strong alliance existed between the Jesuits in Poland and Livonia. They held the same beliefs, had common duties, and used many of the same books. The library consisted of many Polish editions and books from Polish Jesuit colleges, and formed a significant element of the intellectual milieu of the Riga Jesuit College. The Polish books reveal connections between the book trade and exchanges among colleges. Many unique copies from the old Riga Jesuit library are well preserved in the Uppsala University Library, while a few copies are found in major libraries in Poland, as well as in Lithuania and other countries. The goal of this article is to detail the former Jesuit library’s valuable book collection, with references to specific Polish authors, books and prominent persons, and their links with the Riga Jesuit College library.