Historians might link the beginning of modernity to different events, personalities, and ideas, but they all have something in common - a giant increase of accessibility to information. The latter is of a special interest for heritage professionals who preserve material of these events and, if not stroke by amnesia as regards the 2nd paragraph of the code of ethics which explains the purpose of this job, also strive to communicate collections they have. Yes, we are in communication business!
While some would locate the first germs of modernity already in Reformation, the material equivalent of which would definitely be the mass produced Bible of the Gutenberg press; the others would necessarily point to the Europe’s industrial and political revolutions, which suggest to think of British patented steam hammer, and French made constitution as their most likely material embodiment.
However high the price would be, the positive side effect of these revolutions inevitably was laying foundations for a popular education infrastructure in Europe, including the opening of first public libraries and museums.
In this vein, the first push for library tradition in Latvia was made by the Reformation, which took place exactly 500 years ago. Shortly after the Wittenberg events, in by that time already protestant Riga, following recommendation of Marin Luther, in 1524 the Bibliotheca Rigensis was established. This effectively makes the Riga City Library one of the oldest public libraries in Europe.
In turn, the beginning of public museum tradition in the territory of Latvia had to wait for another two and a half centuries to take off, when donation to the city of Riga of Himsel-Martini family collections marked the occasion.
Today, when modernity in its conceptual and technical sense goes on, witness to which, for instance, is the started digitisation project of the Himsel travel diaries, it is worth our while to step back and have a bigger picture of the genesis of this manuscript from the time of its origin up to this day.
As noted by the project leader of Himsel digitisation project, Artis Ērglis, while travelling across Europe Himsel necessarily was keeping a diary, which he brought back to Riga. Judging from how meticulous are the entries in the diary, and how careful the volumes are bound, one can only conclude that the manuscript in its current form has been completed after returning home. Also in view to the level of detail of the account, one is compelled to assume that there must have been earlier version of the manuscript, which, most likely, did not survive. Neither it is known for sure that the volumes contain a hand-written text of Himsel himself, or, for example, he would have dictated the text to a copywriter.
After Himsel’s death, the three volume strong diary ended up into collection of the mentioned Bibliotheca Rigensis or the Riga City Library where they were kept until the Wold War II.
The fire of 29 June 1941 caused by the battle between the assaulting Nazi troops and retreating Red Army, made the central part of the Riga old town burn down including the Riga City Hall and the Riga City Library, which it housed.
It is a rather well known fact in the history of the city library that out of 400 000 unit strong collection only 46 000 copies survived. These were the ones which were kept in a high durability metal boxes. Less know is a nuance in this story that it was only a week or so before the devastating fire that the Himsel manuscripts were brought down to the cellars of the City Hall and locked in one of these metal strong boxes thereby securing their survival.
After the war, the LSSR Academic Library along its Rare books and manuscript sector was created to where the surviving collection of former Riga City Library was transferred, including Himsel diaries. These days it is the Rare Books and Manuscripts department at the Academic Library of the University of Latvia - a lawful heir of the Bibliotheca Rigensis with its genesis stretching back to 500 years old events of Reformation - that is the keeper of this precious source.
When labouring on modernity project, sometimes it is useful to remind oneself that we in Riga have both one of the oldest public libraries and museums in Europe. If the line of argument about the access to information, i.e. - to the knowledge, as one of decisive elements of modernity holds up, the heritage sector is well positioned to have a fresh look and time and again reprogram itself as part of a larger network of communication system.
Provided that there is this fresh look at oneself in the sector, the opportunities for a broader spread of our unique collections, cooperation and partnerships will not let waiting too long to happen.
Nikolaus von Himsel (1729 - 1764) three volume travel diary (manuscript) is kept in Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Latvian Academic Library.
Images: Didzis Grodzs