Martynas Mažvydas

Martynas Mažvydas ( Martin Mosvid; * after 1510 Žemaičių Naumiestis at Heydekrug in Prussia (now Šilutė ) in Lithuania; † May 21, 1563 in Königsberg ) was a Lutheran pastor in the Duchy of Prussia and the author of the first book in Lithuanian - a Protestant Catechism - and other religious writings.

Life and work

He came from Samogitians, but spent his youth in Vilnius. As the second third of the 16th century Protestant Reformation thought - Lithuania had reached, he turned to them, but learned rejection and persecution. Duke Albrecht of Prussia became aware of him and invited him to Königsberg. In 1546 he moved there the university and had already reached the Baccalaureat 1548 - it can be assumed because of the short residence time that he had previously seen a university, probably visited Krakow.

While still a student at Königsberg he wrote - on the basis of the Polish version of Luther's Catechism - his first book, the 1547 printed in Königsberg Catechismusa Prasty Szadei ( German: catechism in simple terms ). It is the first book in Lithuanian. The Catechism begins with a Latin inscription - not a person who may support the dissemination, but to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania itself Martynas Mažvydas ' great wish was that his entire home country, as the Prussian Lithuania, the gospel may assume. It follows a Latin preface in prose and rhymed preface in Lithuanian, then a book of hours with prayers and biblical readings, the actual catechism and a collection of songs. Approximately 200 copies have been printed, only two have survived the centuries: in the University Library of Vilnius ( since 1997 bears his name ) and in the Thorn in Prussia (now Poland).

1549 took over Martynas Mažvydas a pastorate in Ragnit (now Neman ) at Tilsit on the Memel, and was there in 1554 archdeacon. He transferred several works into Lithuanian: besides Luther 's Small Catechism, a baptismal service after the Prussian Agenda and the Ambrosian hymn, also he prepared song books with their own and other church songs in his native language before. When he died in 1563, he could look back not only on the book, which had created the Lithuanian as a written language, but also to a considerable work of books for liturgical use. What had not come out during his lifetime, was his cousin Baltramiejus Vilentas (German Baltramäus Willent ), pastor at Konigsberg, posthumously in pressure.

The fact that his work only in the neighboring Duchy of Prussia was used, was due to the rejection of the Reformation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the local occurrence of the Jesuits from 1570, the reason for the escape of evangelical Protestant Lithuanians in the neighboring country.

Works

• Catechismvsa prasty szadei, makslas skaitima raschta yr giesmes; Königsberg. H. Weinreich, 1547 (CCC )
• Giesme see Ambraseijaus bey see Augustina; Königsberg. H. Weinreich, 1549. ( Ambrosian hymn of praise and Augustinian )
• Forma chrikštima; Königsberg. J.Daubman, 1559 ( The form of baptism )
• Gesmes chrikščoniškas, gedomas bažniczosu by Adventa ir Kaledas ik gramniču / [ išleido B.Vilentas ]; Königsberg. J. Daubman, 1566 ( Christian Songs, Volume 1 )
• Gesmes chrikščoniškas, gedomas bažniczosu by Velika ir sekminias ik Adventa / [ parengė ir išleido B.Vilentas ]; Königsberg. J. Daubman, 1570 ( Christian Songs, Volume 2 )
• Lietuviškos Maldo; Karaliaucius [ Königsberg ], 1574th ( Lithuanian prayer)
• Trumpas klausimas ir prieprovimas / / M. Liuteris Enchiridion: Katechismas Mazas; Konigsberg: G. Oster Berger, 1579 ( short questions / / M. Luther's Small Catechism, On Old Prussian )
• Parafrasis permanitina poteraus malda; Konigsberg, G. Oster Berger, 1589th ( Paraphrasis as the Our Father is understood )