B Altisch-Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen Vom 16. Bis 19. Jahrhundert Medien - Institutionen - Akteure
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
B altisch-deutsche Kulturbeziehungen vom 16. bis 19. Jahrhundert Medien - Institutionen - Akteure BAND I I Zwischen Aufklärung und nationalem Erwachen Herausgegeben von RAIVIS BIČEVSKIS JOST EICKMEYER ANDRIS LEVANS ANŲ SCHAPER BJÖRN SPIEKERMANN INGA WALTER im Auftrag der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Akademie der Wissenschaften des Landes Baden-Württemberg Universitiitsverlag WINTER Heidelberg Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über httpMnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. UMSCHLAGBILD Aus: Garlieb Helwig Merkel: Die Letten vorzüglich in Liefland 2., verbesserte Auflage, Leipzig 1800. München: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, 2011 um:nbn:debvb: 12-bsb 10783072-4 Russ. 103 ISBN 978-3-8253-6881-4 Dieses Werk einschließlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung außerhalb der engen Grenzen des Urhcbcrrcchtsgcsctzcs ist ohne Zustimmung des Verlages unzulässig und strafbar. Das gilt insbesondere für Vervielfältigungen, Übersetzungen, Mikroverfilmungen und die Einspeicherung und Verarbeitung in elektronischen Systemen. © 2019 Universitätsverlag Winter GmbH Heidelberg Imprimć en Allemagnc • Printed in Germany Druck: Memminger McdienCcntrum, 87700 Memmingen Gedruckt auf umweltfreundlichem, chlorfrci gebleichtem und alterungsbcständigem Papier. Den Verlag erreichen Sie im Internet unter: www.winter-vcrlag.de Arvydas Pacevičius (Vilnius) Germans and the “New Enlightenment”, 1792-1832: The Case of Vilnius University Library Introduction In this article, I would like to discuss the dissemination of German culture in historical Lithuania, and name its representatives in the academic commu nity, which in the period in question was centred in Vilnius University. Vil nius University Library, the amassment and replenishment of whose stocks are a reflection of the life of the whole academic society, was an important agent in keeping relations with scientific centres of Western Europe. I use the term “New Enlightenment” in order to stress the social and intellectual changes in Lithuania after the third and last Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. During the period that follo wed, most of historic Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire until, in 1803, Vilnius University was named the Imperial University of Vilna. At the same time, the model of “Catholic Enlightenment”1, largely based on 1 The term “Catholic Enlightenment” comprises several principles of education, thought and cultural practice which were implemented in Catholic states after the abolition of the Jesuit Order in 1773; starting in Austria, it soon reached Eastern Europe; cf. Eligijus Raila: Katalikiška apšvieta: naujos mokymo šakos, in: Orbis Li- tuaniae 16 (2017), online version: http://ni.ldkistorija.lt/index.php/istoriniai-fak- tai/katalikiska-apsvieta-naujos-mokymo-sakos/383 (13.2.2018); Krikščionybės Lietuvoje istorija, ed. by Vytautas Ališauskas, Vilnius 2006, p. 314-319; Eligijus Raila: Apšvieta, in: Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštijos kultūra. Tyrinėjimai ir vaiz dai, ed. by Vytautas Ališauskas, Vilnius 2001 (Aidai), p.44-57, csp. p. 51—53; Ul rich Im llof: Švietimo epochos Europa, Vilnius 1996, p.41f., 149-151. More about the historiography of the Age of Enlightenment in Lithuania is provided by Darius Žiemelis: Review of “Eligijus Raila: Ignotus Ignotas. Vilniaus vyskupas Ignotas Jokūbas Masalskis, Vilnius 2010 (Aidai), 236 p", in: Lithuanian Historical Studies 17 (2012), p. 202—212; for a global history of the Catholic Enlightenment see Ul rich L. Lehner: The Catholic Enlightenment: The Forgotten History of a Global Mo vement, New York 2016, esp. pp. 54sq. and 64sq. (about Poland-Lithuania). 70 Arvydas Pacevičius the ideas of philanthropy2 and physiocracy3, was adopted in Lithuania by the Catholic clergy, especially by the monks. Hence, the Lithuanian Enligh tenment can also be called “Monastic Enlightenment”. After the abolition of the Society of Jesus in 1773, the reforms of the Catholic church took place under the supervision of the Bishop of Vilnius, Ignacy Jakub Massalski. He became the first head of the Commission for National Education founded on October 15,1773. It was this institution that first allowed ideas of Catho lic enlightenment to take place in Lithuania: Massalski established primary schools, seeking to improve literacy and reformed higher education. It was also the Commission for National Education that issued the official circu lars of 1781,1785,1788,1789, and 1791 which gave the Vilnius University Library the status of a public library and the right to a mandatory copy of every book printed in Lithuania.4 However, the impact of a specifically Catholic enlightenment had its li mits. At the beginning of the 19th century, a more multiconfessional model of “Christian Enlightenment” was gradually adopted by the government. It was engineered by the new Russian administration, which protected not only the Orthodox Church, but also the Protestants, at the expense of Lithu anian Catholics. Still, the reforms that had begun in the last decades of 18th century were being retained, when Russia employed the experience of its Western provinces. Notable changes were achieved in the fields of science, education, agriculture and housekeeping, even in communication and poli tical participation.5 2 For the spreading of philanthropism in Lithuania see Krikščionybės Lietuvoje isto rija (note 1), p. 173-177. More about patronage and other charitable, philanthro pic work in Lithuania can be found in: Arvydas Pacevičius, Pamirštoji mecenatystė 1792-1832: Dovanų Vilniaus universiteto bibliotekai knyga, Vilnius 2010 (DA- BAexpo), p. 160-165. 3 Cf. Apšvictos ir romantizmo kryžkelėse. Filosofijos kryptys ir kontroversijos Lietuvoje XVIII a. pabaigoje - pirmoje XIX a. pusėje, ed. by Dalius Viliūnas, Vilnius, 2008 (Kultūros, filosofijos ir meno institutas), p. 20; Eligijus Raila, Ignotus Ignotas. Vil niaus vyskupas Ignotas Jokūbas Masalskis, Vilnius 2010, p. 166-197. 4 Alma Mater Vilnensis: Vilniaus universiteto istorijos bruožai [Alma Mater Vilnensis: Highlights of Vilnius University History], cd. by Vygintas Bronius Pšibilskis, Vilnius :2012 (Vilniaus universiteto leidykla), p. 557. 5 Apšvictos ir romantizmo kryžkelėse. Filosofijos kryptys ir kontroversijos Lietuvoje XVIII a. pabaigoje - pirmoje XIX a. pusėje, cd. by Dalius Viliūnas, Vilnius, 2008 (Kultūros, filosofijos ir meno institutas), p. 183; Eligijus Raila: Apšvieta, in: Lie- Germans and the “New Enlightenment' 71 Despite these later developments, the ideas of the Enlightenment in Lithuania, unlike in most other European countries, were initially inspired and spread by the Catholic church. Although the Catholic clergy rejected some of the beliefs of the French Encyclopedists, it did not oppose to the ge neral progress and rationalism under the auspices of the proverbial “light of reason”.6 The reforms were only interrupted by the partitions of the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth carried out by the “enlightened monarchs” in 1793 and 1795. The question now is whether the reforms continued, and what part the “German factor” played during the process of “Christian Enlightenment” in Lithuania. To answer this question within the limits of an evidence-based case study, the following remarks examine the German influence on one important part of social and intellectual transformation in Lithuania, namely the early institutional history of Vilnius University Li brary (VUL). Before that, we will have to take a look at the cultural role of German intellectuals in Lithuania during the period in question. Germans in Lithuania and Vilnius The concept of a German in Lithuania was not unambiguous at the time. We have information about an ancient German community whose most prominent representative in medieval Lithuania was Hanul of Riga, who became Elder of the Livonian merchants in Vilnius in the thirteenth cen tury. Among other notable figures was a Vilnius castellan and royal const ruction supervisor, Ulrich Uosius (1455-1535), who came from Karlsruhe. The German Street in Vilnius gives testimony of the creative energy of the German community which once “engaged in crafts, arts, and trade.”7 Most Germans quickly adapted to local customs, culture and language. In 1804 Vilnius had more than 35,000 inhabitants, most of them Catholics (22,000) and Jews (11,000), but only 500 Lutherans and 100 members of the Refor- tuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštijos kultūra, lyrinčjimai ir vaizdai, ed. by Vytautas Ališauskas, Vilnius 2001, p.44-57, esp. p. 44. 6 For the idea of lumen naturae in Western thought cf. the article ‘Lumen naturale’, in: Historisches Wörterbuch der Philosophie, hg. v. Joachim Ritter et al., vol. 5, Ba sel 1980, col. 548-552 (Werner Beicrwaltes/Red.). 7 Jozefas Frankas: Atsiminimai apie Vilnių, ed. by Violeta Mickevičiūte, Vilnius 2001, p. 49. 72 Arvydas Pacevičius med Church. Few of them identified themselves or were identified with the German nationality. Usually people were assigned to one community or the other based on their religious denomination. In the VUL reader register we find only a few people between January 2 and March 2, 18228 registered as Deutsche.9 Among them were one VU professor of music, Johan David Holland, and a postal officer and censor named Friedrich von Smitt.10 Ac cording to Prof. Joseph Frank (1771-1842), who was born in Baden-Würt temberg and came to Vilnius