Abraomas Kulvietis: humanistic origins of the early Reformation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Abraomas Kulvietis; Bernardino Ochino; Bona Sforza (Sforca; Bona Sforza d’Aragona); Humanizmas; Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Reformacija; Abraham of Kulva; Abraomas Kulvietis; Bernardino Ochino; Bona Sforza; Humanism; Reformation.
ENThe article presents the humanistic background of Lithuanian Reformation pioneer Abraomas Kulvietis (Abraham Culvensis, about 1510-1545) and his relations with the Italian philo-Protestant context in the first half of the sixteenth century. An early reconstruction of Kulvietis' activity was written soon after his death by Johannes Hoppe. His funeral speech Oratio funebris, dedicated to Kulvietis (Königsberg, 1547), was published together with Kulvietis' Confessiofidei. The only surviving copy of this edition was found in the Durham University Library and in 2011 a new critical edition of it was prepared. This confession, written in 1543, is considered to be the first evangelical confessio fidei in Poland and Lithuania as well as the first recorded Protestant text in Lithuania. Kulvietis' confession was addressed to the Queen of Poland and the Grand duchess of Lithuania, the Italian Dona Sforza. Kulvietis' humanistic origins have their beginning at the University of Lcuvcn (most probably in Collegium Trilingtie Lovaniense) where he matriculated in April 1533. Kulvietis was later famous as an expert in classical languages (homo triimi lingtiarum) and was offered the position of professor of classical languages at the newly founded University of Königsberg. After his studies at the universities of Wittenberg and Leipzig, Kulvietis gained his doctor's degree in utroque iure in Siena in November 1540. His studies at the Collegium Trilingtie influenced the humanistic methodology of the Lithuanian Reformation pioneer as well as stimulating his ideas about the first high Lithuanian grammar school.The school was founded by Kulvietis in Vilnius at 1541. In 1542 Kulvietis was forced to flee his homeland to Lutheran Prussia since the bishop of Vilnius had organized a first Church trial against his 'heresy'. The article provides a detailed discussion of the features of the early Lithuanian Protestant ideas declared in Kulvietis' Latin Confessio fidei and suggests that the pioneer of the Lithuanian Refomiation was inspired by the work of the famous Italian dissident Bemardinio Ochino, who fled Siena in the same year (1542) and wrote the first Italian Protestant manifesto Epistola di Bernaidino Ochino alii molto magnifici signori, It signori di Balid delta cittä di Siena. Both texts have much in common in terms of their ideas and rhetorics. [From the publication]
