The Early Lithuanian and Latvian writing: linguistic and cultural context
ENThe appearance of the first printed books both in Lithuania and Latvia was determined by an almost universal phenomenon in Europe of that time ñ Reformation and subsequent Counter-Reformation. In Lithuania Minor, Lithuanian books were published by the Reformers, while in the Great Duchy of Lithuania this was mostly connected with Counter-Reformation activities. The first known book published in Latvian is Catholic, published in Vilnius. Both first Lithuanian and first Latvian books were catechisms, i.e. they were meant not so much for priests and the clergy, but for the religious community, to meet the needs of the local population. The key difference in the situation of the beginning of Lithuanian and Latvian writing is that the compilers of the first Lithuanian books were Lithuanians, while those of Latvian books were Germans who knew some basic Latvian. This has led to the creation of two varieties of the Latvian language - spoken and written. Latvians joined these activities much later. The appearance of the first Lithuanian and Latvian writing was the beginning of written linguistic communication in these languages. The written texts in the national languages became much more accessible to a wider audience; writing has become the basis for international links and communication and paved the ways for the communication of cultures.
