Lindes un Birzgales mācītājs Konrāds Šulcs tautas apgaismības vēsturē

Abstract

In this article, the work in Latvian literature by Baltic German pastor Konrad Schultz has been explored within the context of the development of Popular Enlightenment ideas during the early 19th century. Schultz belonged to those Latvian-writing authors whose works were characterized by variety of themes and genres: from short stories and poems to essays, popular scientific and practical economic articles. Most of Schultz’s literary works were published in newspapers “Latviešu Avīzes” (Latvian Newspapers) and “Tas Latviešu Ļaužu Draugs” (The Friend of Latvian People). Special attention in the article has been turned towards social themes in Schultz’s works – characterization of Latvians in the essay “Latviešu tauta” (Latvian nation), comments on Germanization and upward social mobility, the celebration of the agricultural work, reflections upon aims and reception of enlightenment. Further, correspondences by Schultz on current events in Linde and Birzgale area as well as cultural, historical and ethnographical sketches about the river Daugava have been explored. The short prose fiction works by Schultz have been analyzed within the context of traditions of enlightenment didactic literature, and their originals in German literature have been traced. In the closing part of the article, Schultz’s “Kurzemes stāstu grāmata” (Book of Courland’s Stories) – the first book on Latvian history in Latvian – has been analyzed by turning attention towards Schultz’s understanding of history as well as aims of popularization of history and interpretation of Christianization and other historical events.