Bibliophily as philantropy. Mattityahu Strashun’s book collection and its legacy in Vilnius
ENUntil 1941, the Vilnius Jewish public library named after Mattityahu Strashun was a unique phenomenon not only in local, but in East and Central European context. It earned its fame due to inspiring personality and attitude to book collecting of its founder – a renowned Talmudic scholar and enlightener, a scion of a rabbinic dynasty, bibliophile and one of the leaders of Vilnius Jewish community and its great benefactor, Mattityahu Strashun (1817-1885). The article discusses the formation and content of the collection, its functioning while owned by Strashun, and later – as a public library (first of that kind in Vilnius and most important of them during the whole period of its existence) and its integration into the city life. The article also presents the fate of the M. Strashun’s collection during the Nazi occupation of Vilnius and in the post-war period. The National Library of Lithuania preserves about 2,000 volumes of books and periodicals from M. Strashun’s personal collection that survived the Nazi occupation of Vilnius and plundering of its cultural treasures. The article aims at establishing the connection between the personality and public stance of Mattityahu Strashun and the main principles of organization and activities of the first Vilnius public Jewish library that was based on M. Strashun’s personal collection and in accordance with his will. In his private and public persona, M. Strashun emphasized the priority of public good and was an embodiment of tolerance. These principles formed the foundation of the library named after him. Keywords: Mattityahu Strashun, personal collection, Strashun library, Vilnius, Jewish community.
