Books in the native language have changed the course of life and history for Estonians. The same holds true for Latvians, with whom we share not only the first known printed text but also a common political history.
The essay collection, published in parallel in both Estonian and Latvian, reflects the role of printed materials in the development of each society up to the achievement of independence. The volume contains 25 essays by Estonian and 25 by Latvian humanities scholars, highlighting the shared journey from the first book in the national language to the formation of the nation-state. At the same time, these essays on book history provide insights from leading experts into the current state of research on the written cultures of both countries.
The collection begins with the first known printed text—now lost—and concludes with the declaration of independence. In the same year, 1918, when Estonia declared independence, the predecessor of today’s National Library of Estonia, the State Library of the Republic of Estonia, was founded. For this reason, the National Library of Estonia has had the duty, honour, and privilege of publishing a work that highlights the significance of the book in the formation of our nation-state.
At the presentation, the collection was introduced by its compiler Dr Piret Lotman. Extended presentations were given by historian Dr Juhan Kreem, classical philologist Dr Kristi Viiding, and the Latvian co-compiler Dr Toms Ķencis.