Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

1514, becoming the pastor of the congregation in Limbaži. TheCzech translator Pavel Stoll discovered that some of the songsRamm is renowned for translating were written by Jan Hus. TheMoravian Brethren movement that would be hugely influentialamong Latvians in 18 th century southern Livonia (now Latvia) wasinspired by Hus. The book Christi ab incarnationis by Jan Huswas printed in 1514 by Weissenburger in Landshut. Also in 1514,the manuscript of Дзесяціглаў was completed; Frantsisk Skarina,born in Vitebsk and acquainted with Riga Baltic Germans, wouldpublish it in Vilnius in 1522.A few hundred publications from 1514 are held in the collectionsof national and university libraries. The Latvian National Librarymaintains close contact with the keepers of these rare volumes.The library of the Duke of Courland, for example, is currently inthe National Library of Finland and was formerly at the Universityof Helsinki. The Latvian National Library intends to locate othercopies of works published in or connected to 1514, appropriate tothe exhibition in the new library building in 2014. The exhibition willalso tell of other ancient libraries that existed five centuries ago.There is no doubt that 2014 will see the publication of a host ofbooks across the globe – many more than were printed in 1514!In cooperation with the finest publishing houses in Europe, an exhibitionof the best books, atlases and albums printed in 2014 isalso being planned.Bitwa pod Orsząin Basel, Henri Estienne (1460?—1520) printed Arithmetica decemlibris demonstrata in Paris, Wynkyn de Worde worked in London. Itwas in 1514 that Aldus Manutius introduced the use of blue paper.The first book in Arabic letters was printed by the brothers DeGregori Fano in Italy, and Erhard Oeglin produced the firstHebrew typesetting in Augsburg in this year. A Torah was printedin Constantinople, and Ottaviano dei Petrucci completed the publicationof the eleventh series of scores in Venice. 1514 also sawthe introduction of “+“ and “–“ signs.It is also held that the first book printed in Polish appeared in 1514rather than 1515 as commonly believed. Soon after victory overthe Russians at Smolensk, a letter of Sigismund I to Pope Leo Xwas published.With regard to Riga, it should be noted that this is the year theprinter Joannes Badius Ascenius produces the “Danish Chronicle“of Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150-1220). This history of Denmark isone of the most important sources on the early history of what isnow Latvia. The “Saga of Hadingus“ tells of a Danish Viking andhis blood brother, who make war upon the Couronian chieftainLoker. The Couronian leader defeats them and captures them.Escaping, Hadingus craftily seizes a city on the Daugava, takingits chieftain hostage and asking for the chieftain’s ransom in gold.In the Saga of Frodi, raids on the Baltic region are described.The first book in Latvian is printed in 1525. The first librarywas established a year earlier. Both of these events are linkedto Nikolai Ramm, the pastor of the Latvian congregation at St.James’s Church in Riga – he arrived in what is now Latvia inThe dawn of the electronic age, digital environments and digitallibraries has led some to dub our era the Second Comingof Gutenberg. The technical environment that affects informationflow, knowledge, cultural values and the dissemination of ideashas changed as radically as it did five centuries ago. Handwrittenmanuscripts were replaced by printing, just as the computer keyboardhas shifted the world of words now. Drawing met engraving– today computer graphics of all kinds come into play. The printingpress took the place of the scriptorium – the great ‘scriptorium’today is the World Wide Web. The king, however the Content, isstill king.What: International conference and exhibition.Where: Latvian National Library.When: Exhibition throughout the year; conference in April.Concept author: Andris Vilks, Director of the Latvian NationalLibrary.Organisers: University of Latvia; Latvian National Library.Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae, Paris 151440 41