450th Anniversary of the First Lithuanian Book by Martynas Mažvydas

The BOOK IN THE HISTORY AND IN THE MEMORY

The book by M. Mažvydas marks the beginning of Lithuanian press, religious and secular literature, standardisation of Lithuanian written and literary language and represents one of the most prominent monuments of national culture. The author was already appraised by his contemporaries. His creative heritage became a subject of scientific studies in the 18th century, when the historians of Prussia, affected by the ideas of the Enlightenment epoch, got interested in the history of Lithuanians and Prussians, and the copies of "Cathecismusa..." from stocks retained by the Library of Königsberg appeared onto the market. A.Schleicher was the first to reprint a part (in 1857) of the text, and in 1874 A. Bezzenberger reprinted the whole text of the first Lithuanian book for scientific purposes. Later on the book was studied by many linguists of various countries, specialising in the Lithuanian language, and Lithuanian scholars.

Some photocopies of "Cathecismusa..." were published in Lithuania. In 1947 the 400th anniversary of the issue of the book was marked in occupied Lithuania and by the community of Lithuanian emigres abroad.

Nowadays the motif of M. Mažvydas is often used in works of literature, music and art. Streets of Lithuanian towns are named after him, and the park of sculptures established in Klaipėda also bears his name.