LU konferencehttps://doi.org/10.22364/ilt.24.08 | 92-123 | PDF
Jana Dreimane
Dr. philol., Latvijas Nacionālās bibliotēkas Pētniecības un interpretācijas centra vadošā pētniece
Rīgas Vēstures un senatnes pētītāju biedrības bibliotēka un tās ceļi pēc biedrības likvidācijas
Atslēgvārdi: Latvijas bibliotēku vēsture 19.–20. gadsimtā, vācbaltiešu biedrību bibliotēkas, kultūras vērtību pārvietošana, Paritārā komisija, nacistiskā okupācija, padomju okupācija
The Library of the Society for the History and Antiquities in Riga and Its Path Following the Society’s Liquidation
Keywords: history of Latvian libraries in the 19th and 20th centuries, libraries of German-Baltic societies, transfer of cultural values, Parity Commission, Nazi occupation, Soviet occupation.
The 19th century in Europe marked the rise and flourishing of learned societies across various disciplines. In Latvia, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire, several German-Baltic scholarly societies were established, playing a crucial role in the advancement of regional historical studies and significantly contributing to the discovery, preservation, and dissemination of historical sources. Among these, the Society for the History and Antiquities of the Baltic Provinces of Russia (Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Altertumskunde der Ostseeprovinzen Russlands), later renamed the Society for the History and Antiquities in Riga (Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Altertumskunde zu Riga) in 1919, is particularly noteworthy. One of the primary objectives of this Society, founded in 1834, was to compile a comprehensive collection of printed works and manuscripts pertaining to the history, antiquities, literature, and peoples of the Baltic provinces. Since the Society’s budget was limited, the development of the library was predominantly supported by member donations and book exchanges. Nevertheless, over the course of a century, the library evolved into one of the most extensive and systematically curated repositories of Baltic literature in Latvia. During the 1930s and 1940s, the library’s collection was dispersed among various heritage institutions with some portions being relocated abroad. This study aims to identify, consolidate, and analyse information about the Society’s library, including its distribution and transfer, in order to assess the value of its collection, identify the principal custodians in Latvia and abroad, and clarify unresolved issues in the library’s history.
Uz zināmā un nezināmā robežas. Sast., zin. red. I. Kivle, R. Bičevskis. Rīga: LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2024. 184. lpp.