Jono Bretkūno Postilė (1591) Lietuvos nacionalinėje Martyno Mažvydo bibliotekoje (2024)

LTLietuvos nacionalinė Martyno Mažvydo biblioteka (LNB) 2024 m. rugsėjį įsigijo Jono Bretkūno Postilę (1591, toliau – BP I–II). Šis faktas keičia bibliografinę statistiką: tai dar viena Postilė Lietuvoje, prieinama mokslo bei kultūros visuomenei. Kiekvienas į viešumą iškilęs egzempliorius teikia svarbios informacijos apie tai, kaip XVI pabaigoje Prūsijos Kunigaikštystėje sukurta knyga buvo skaitoma vėliau ir kas lėmė, kad palyginti daug jos vienetų išliko iki XXI a. Lietuvos ir kitų Europos valstybių bibliotekose bei muziejuose šiuo metu yra apie 30 Postilės egzempliorių. Lietuvoje jų skaičius po truputį auga. Lietuvos atminties institucijose iki 2005 m. saugota 10 egzempliorių. Jie jau tirti de visu ir aprašyti leidžiant faksimilinį leidimą (suvestinę žr. toliau – 1). Šio straipsnio tikslas – ištirti įsigytą egzempliorių ir pateikti žinių apie jo funkcionalumą. Tikslo link einama tokiais etapais: aprašoma būklė ir įrišas, nustatoma proveniencija, įvertinami skaitymo kultūrą liudijantys duomenys, ypač rankraštiniai įrašai. Egzempliorius tirtas de visu pagal knygos metodologinės analizės modelį, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant dinaminiams veiksniams: funkcijų prasmės pokyčiams ir abipusiam ryšiui tarp knygos ir visuomenės. Vertinant šiuos veiksnius, atsižvelgiama į tai, kad knygos poreikis priklauso visų pirma nuo jos turinio, bet funkcionalumą kiekvienu konkrečiu laikotarpiu lemia ir tai, kiek yra skaitytojų, gebančių ją suprasti ir pritaikyti savo reikmėms. Be to, knyga gali būti funkcionali, bet nefunkcionuoti, jei nėra prieinama visuomenei. [Iš straipsnio, p. 51]

ENIn September 2024, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (NLL) procured a copy of the Postil (1591) by Jonas Bretkūnas (LNB NPDAF: D14067 11th copy kept on file at Lithuanian libraries and museums, and the third Postil outside of Bibliography of Lithuania Lietuvos bibliografija (LB I, 1969 and LBP, 1990) currently held at Lithuanian memory institutions. This copy of the Postil is the oldest Lithuanian book at the NLL. The goal of this article is to introduce the new copy to the academia and the culture society by describing its condition and binding, establishing its provenience, scrutinising the data attesting to the culture of reading and handwritten entries in particular. The copy is studied de visu according to the methodological analysis of the book, with a particular focus on dynamic factors: changes in the meaning of functions and the reciprocal relationship between the book and society. The proveniences testify that in the 19th century, this was a household book that had at least four owners: (1) the unnamed mother of Urtė Ostwald (until 1830); (2) Urtė Ostwald (as of 1830); (3) Friedrich Fritz Ostwald Jr.; (4) E. Skėrys (between 1860 and 1893, at the very least) of Senieji Vainočiai (Ger. Alt Weynothen in Prussian Lithuania, near to Tilžė [Ger. Tilsit]). The published testimony of the peers indicates that in the 20th century, (5) it belonged (until 1988) to Mina Bentkus (born in 1900) of Büsingen (German exclave in Switzerland), (6) and (as of 1988) to Fricas Skėrys (1919–1994) of Mannheim (Germany). In early 20th century, the book was transferred from its original location in Prussian Lithuania to Switzerland (to Feuerthalen near Schaffhausen), following the move of the home church community of Evangeliška liuteriška Betliejaus draugystė (The Evangelical Lutheran Fellowship of Bethlehem) under Rev. Endrikis Kalvaitis (Heinrich Kallweit, 1937-1915) to the same country.In around mid-20th century, the religious books that Prussian Lithuanians had in their possession were collected by Mina Bentkus, who in 1988 handed them over to the German evangelical Lutheran priest Fricas Skėrys. The main hallmark which identifies the copy procured by the NLL as the one that Mina Bentkus had and passed on to Fricas Skėrys is the 1830 provenience by Urtė Ostwald, as recorded in Domas Kaunas’s 1991 de visu inventory of the Postil kept at Skėrys’s home. The copy contains a number of entries handwritten in Lithuanian and German. The Lithuanian entries usually come in two different varieties: they either (1) indicate how old the book is, as well as point to certain events that had occurred during that period; or (2) constitute linguistic corrections. The first type testifies to Skėrys’s keen interest in history and his appreciation of old books. The second shows the reaction to the 16th century Lithuanian language. Forms with an designating a nasal vowel were considered outdated (and the would be stricken out); the letter designating the Baltic [*ā] would be replaced with an . Forms of nouns in plural locative with an ending -su were considered unusual and the ending would be corrected to -se. In forms of plural genitive, the would sometimes have a roof-shaped circumflex added on top. Corrections of the vocabulary and punctuation were also aimed at bringing words and constructions up to date.The functioning of this copy amidst the public is indicative of the functional properties this book had, as well as its value in different periods: in the 19th and 20th century, it was in the possession of private owners and would be used as a religious book to help the reader get to know the Bible better and to keep the faith, whilst observing how old it was already and language that does not conform to usage has been corrected, while in the 20th and 21st century, it was perceived as a valuable piece of cultural heritage to be treasured. Once at the NLL, it was granted both solid protection and free access (also available on epaveldas.lt website). [From the publication]