Latvian Book Research Articles

A Statistical Overview of Bibliodiversity in the Latvian Book Market

This paper offers a statistical overview of bibliodiversity in the Latvian book market—a small language market in terms of the number of Latvian language users and home for people from varied ethnic and national backgrounds. Diversity of the book output during 1991–2020 is analysed in terms of languages and general categories in which books are published, shares of literary genres in fiction publishing, shares of original and translated fiction titles, languages from which fiction titles are translated, as well as the background of fiction authors who have been translated and published in Latvia.

The Paths of Books of Latvian Jews during World War II

[full article, abstract in English; abstract in Lithuanian]
 The aim of the research is to find out the influence of the Nazi regime on preservation of historical book collections, which were established in Jewish societies, schools, religious organizations and private houses in Latvia until the first Soviet occupation (1940/1941). At the beginning, libraries of Jewish associations and other institutions were expropriated by the Soviet power, which started the elimination of Jewish books and periodicals published in the independent Republic of Latvia. The massive destruction of Jewish literature collections was carried out by Nazi occupation authorities (1941-1944/45), proclaiming Jews and Judaism as their main “enemies”. However, digitized archives of Nazi organizations (mainly documents of the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce) shows that a small part of the Latvian Jewish book collections was preserved for research purposes and after the Second World War scattered in different countries. Analysis of archival documents will clarify the Nazi strategy for Latvian Jewish book collections. It will be determined which book values survived the war and what their further fate in the second half of the 1940s was.

ESTIŠKŲ, LATVIŠKŲ IR LIETUVIŠKŲ KNYGŲ LEIDYBOS APIMČIŲ DINAMIKA XIX A. PIRMOJE PUSĖJE: LYGINAMOJI ANALIZĖ

Straipsnyje pateikiami XIX a. estiškų, latviškų ir lietuviškų knygų leidybos apimčių lyginamojo tyrimo rezultatai. Tyrimas buvo atliktas remiantis šiuo metu reprezentatyviausiais šaltiniais ‒ nacionalinėmis retrospektyviosiomis estiškų, latviškų ir lietuviškų knygų bibliografijomis. Išsiaiškinus, kiek leidinių buvo išleidžiama kasmet nuo 1801 iki 1855 metų, buvo suskaičiuotas bendras leidinių skaičius kiekvienoje šalyje, leidybos apimčių vidurkiai dešimtmečiais bei leidybos apimčių vidurkiai vienam milijonui gyventojų dešimtmečiais. Pasitelkus gautus duomenis ir taikant aprašomosios statistikos metodus buvo palygintos kiekybinės leidybos apimtys visu nagrinėjamu laikotarpiu ir dešimtmečiais, nustatytos jų kaitos tendencijos, taip pat numatytos tolesnės tokių tyrimų kryptys. Leidybos apimtims analizuoti buvo taikomi bibliografinis, aprašomosios statistikos (duomenų rinkimo, sisteminimo ir pateikimo) bei lyginimo metodai, o pagrindžiant tolesnes tyrimų kryptis – analizinės statistikos metodai.

ESTIŠKŲ, LATVIŠKŲ IR LIETUVIŠKŲ KNYGŲ LEIDYBOS APIMČIŲ DINAMIKA XIX A. PIRMOJE PUSĖJE: LYGINAMOJI ANALIZĖ

The article presents results of comparative analysis of book publishing statistics in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian languages in the 19th century. This study was conducted referring to the most representative sources at that moment – the national retrospective bibliographies of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian books. After the analysis of all the publications that had been published yearly from 1801 to 1855, the overall number of publications was then calculated in every country. Furthermore, the publishing rates were evaluated for every decade in the three countries and additionally rates of publications per 1,000,000 inhabitants over every decade were calculated and evaluated. The data presented in this article should be viewed as an initial stage for the comparative analysis of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian nineteenth century book publishing. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian nations grew by preserving the old national traditions and developing new targets for political existence. At the same time, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian books were becoming more modern. Even various restrictions on the rights of nations living in the lands occupied by the Russian Empire and the annihilation of cultural differences did not prevent their publishing evolution. However, in view of general growth trend, publishing development varied in different countries and was determined by economic, social and cultural features of each region. Compared to Lithuania, the environment for the development of national books was more friendly in Estonia and Latvia. After the analysis of all above-mentioned sources it was determined that over the period from 1801 to 1855, most publications were published in the Latvian language – 1846, almost eight hundred less in Estonian language, accounting for 1027, and almost twice less (three times less than Latvian), accounting for 644, in the Lithuanian language. Evidently, book publishing in national language in Lithuania fell significantly behind compared to Latvia and Estonia. It is also important to note that book development in all three countries was uneven and was undergoing periodic rises and falls. The analysis of publishing rates per 1,000,000 inhabitants over every decade showed that Estonia had the highest rate of the three Baltic countries researched. Estonian book publishing increased from 18 to 102 print units per year or rose five-times, whilst in Latvia it increased from 28 to 67 units or 2.3 times. In Lithuania, book publishing rates per 1,000,000 inhabitants over the 55-year period increased not that highly – from 6 to 16 print units per year. By contrast, this rise in publishing rates was 0.3 times higher than in Latvia. The results of this initial study could be used for continuing research of such nature. Bibliographic method, descriptive statistics (data collection, organisation and presentation) and comparative methods were employed to analyse quantitative volumes of publishing, whereas analytical and statistical methods could be used to verify the quantitative trends of the development of publishing and their breaking points. Analytical statistics methods, rarely used in the works of bibliographers, could provide new knowledge on the changes of publishing in percentage terms. At least some of the methods could be employed. For example, the join point method, which could help clarifying the qualitative development trends of publishing by a number of particular linear segments (periods) and points, setting essential changes of the phenomenon in order to identify a statistically relevant or irrelevant growth or decline in publishing in percentage terms, and to distinguish its breaking points. Another method is that of simple linear regression, which helps to calculate the average annual change in the number of publications in percentage terms and depict this in a graph. This trend of developing comparative studies of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian books may lead to qualitatively better results.

LATVIAN WRITER AS A PUBLISHER OF HIS OWN WORKS: EDUARDS FREIMANIS’ (1921–2005) CASE

Authors’ editions in the Latvian book publishing appear in the first half of the 19th century. Self-publishing flourished particularly during the Republic of Latvia (1918–1940). Unfortunately, in the years of the Soviet occupation (1940–1941; 1944–1990) it was forbidden. The tradition could continue only in exile, chosen by many Latvians at the end of World War II. Authors’ self-publishing activity in Latvia began anew after regaining national independence in 1990. So far, the topics related to authors’ editions have not been systematically studied in Latvia. This research is aimed to evaluate the strategies for self-publishing and distribution of works by Eduards Freima­nis. He was the first exile writer who published his own works in Latvia after the renewal of independence. The paper describes not only the most impor­tant challenges, but also the attitude of contemporaries, colleagues and relatives towards the activities of the writer.

1918–1944 METŲ LATVIJOS KNYGININKYSTĖS TYRIMAI: AUTORIAI, TEMOS, LEIDINIAI, SPAUDA

The research of book matter in Latvia started at the end of 18th century with an essay about the printing houses in Riga written by pastor and bibliophile L. Bergmann. Some important publishing houses got coverage in the publications by A. Bucholtz and A. Poelchau at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries. Although the founding of Latvian statehood in 1918 made a definetely new situation for book publishing per se, it didn’t bring substantial changes for research of book matter. Unlike several other humanitarian sciences, research of book matter didn’t receive financial support by state and didn’t get some institutional form as well. The research of book matter had stripes of spontaneous and fragmentary activity. The research was done not only by specialists (publishers, specialists in printing and bibliographers), but by scientists of other fields (historians, linguists, specialists in literature) too. Some fresh ideas about the Livonian book culture during the Middle Ages and Reformation were brought in by the workings of the Baltic historian of German origin, L. Arbusow. The publications of bibliophile J. Misiņš and art historian V. Pengerots told about history of printing enterprises in Latvia. The survey concerning the development of book matters in Latvia written by V. Pengerots was published in “Gutenberg-Jahrbuch” (1935). The periodical “Latvju Grāmata” (“Latvian Book”, 1922–1931) provided diverse information about the current topics in Latvian and foreign book matters though few specific research publications. Due to limited readership the world economic crisis at the beginning of 30ies was fatal for periodical “Latvijas Grāmatrūpniecības Apskats” (“The Review of Latvian Book Industry”, 1928–1931). “Bibliotekārs” (“Librarian”, 1937–1940) published by Latvian Society of Librarians was noticeable for article written by its editor, bibliophile G. Šaurums about ancient prints in Latvian found in foreign libraries. More than 30 publications covering different topics on book matter (including about books in Latvian in the 16th–18th centuries, educational literature) one can find in “Izglītības Ministrijas Mēnešraksts” (“The Monthly of Ministry of Education”, 1920–1939). One should note that the factual information gathered during 20ies and 30ies was later used for monographies about Latvian book matters, published in 60ties and 70ies. During the period the first popular – scientific study in Latvian covering the book matter (“The Book, its history…” by K. Dziļleja, 1935) was published as well. Publications featuring the exhibitions of Latvian books in Moscow (1940) and Leipzig (1942) are distinguished by their representation purposes. During the Nazi occupation articles covering book matter topics were published in periodicals “Izglītības Mēnešraksts” (“Educational Monthly”, 1942–1944) and “Latvju Grāmatnieks” (“Latvian bibliophile”, 1943–1944). The disruption of Latvian independence broke down for a long time an adequate development of Latvian research of book matter. Some authors (K. Draviņš) pursued their scientific work in exile. The others (J. Straubergs, K. Egle) had no access to full-bodied scientific work as the Soviets denied their professional activities in universities and libraries.

BIBLIOGRAFAS KĀRLIS EGLE IR ŽURNALAS „LATVJU GRĀMATA“ (1922–1931)

The magazine “Latvju Grāmata” is the first monthly magazine in the Latvian language covering literary criticism, book science and bibliography. During the ten years of the existence, it gave comprehensive overview of the Latvian and foreign book science of the respective time and also summarized and first published a lot of cultural and historical material on the Latvian cultural figures and the development of literature. The monthly published reviews, critiques of the recently published books, serious general articles on literature, literary history and theory; writers’ biographies, letters and notes; articles on bibliography and art of the book; research on languages; reviews of outstanding foreign fiction; wide chronicle of the Latvian literary activities; chronicle of theatre and art; extensive bibliography of recent books; information about Latvians in foreign literature; reviews of book publishing, conferences and other issues. Rūdolfs Egle (1889–1947), a man of letters and translator, was the editor-in-chief of the magazine. His brother Kārlis Egle (1887–1974), a bibliographer, literary historian and translator, was the main and sometimes the only doer and the actual editor of the magazine. Ansis Gulbis (1873–1936), a book publisher and writer, was the initiator and founder of the magazine. The Latvian Book Dealers and Publishers Society became the publisher of the magazine to make its activities comprehensive. The magazine was printed in different printing houses. The first number of the “Latvju Grāmata” was published in September 1922. The Society suffered material losses because of the little number of the readers, therefore it gave up the magazine. Ansis Gulbis urged Kārlis and Rūdolfs Egles to undertake the publication of the magazine in order to continue the monthly which the community needed. Rūdolfs Egle became the editor-in-chief and publisher of the magazine since its first number of 1927. Kārlis Egle worked hard and systematically for the “Latvju Grāmata”, and at the same time he compiled collected works of several writers, translated fiction from English and Russian, wrote reviews and essays on literary history, compiled bibliographies of writers, wrote the chapter of the Latvian literature for the Latvian encyclopaedia Latviešu konversācijas vārdnīca and worked as a director of the Misiņš Library since 1925. Kārlis Egle fell ill with tuberculosis due to the hard and stressful work, and the publication of the magazine had to be ceased. The last number of “Latvju Grāmata” was published in December 1931. “Latvju Grāmata” is still the only magazine on the Latvian bibliography and literary criticism that covered only these issues. The monthly published the valuable bibliography of the Latvian publications from 1922 to November 1931 (in the decimal classification system) compiled by the bibliographers Augusts Ģinters and Voldemārs Caune. “Latvju Grāmata”, as an important publication on the Latvian bibliography, literary history and criticism, has not lost its meaning up to nowadays. It gives very rich material and detailed reviews of literary activities of the respective period and is important to the contemporary literary critics and cultural historians. The magazine “Latvju Grāmata” can be considered as one of the magazines that started the Latvian bibliography and book science.

KNYGOS ISTORIJOS KOMISIJOS (1966–1990) VAIDMUO SKATINANT KNYGOS MOKSLĄ LATVIJOJE (ANGLŲ K.)

THE COMMISSION OF BOOK HISTORY (1966−1990) AS THE LATVIAN BOOK SCIENCE PROMOTER JANA DREIMANE AbstractIn the article, the role of the Commission of Book History in the establishment and sustainable developmentof the Latvian book science is considered. The minutes of meetings and other materials of the Commission (they have been preserved in the National Library of Latvia) give evidence about the establishmentof the Commission in 1965, its tasks, chairmen and most active participants, its principles and trends of work, initiated academic activities, discussed research works and upcoming publications, as well as about the abolishment of the Commission in 1990. The article gives information on particular decisions of the Commission, which had a significant impact on the further research of Latvian book history.Key words: Latvian book science, history of Latvian book, Latvian book publishing, National Library of Latvia, Academic Library of the University of Latvia