National library acquires copy of Bretkūnas’ Postilė, oldest book in Lithuanian in stock

The Martynas Mažvydas National Library has acquired Postilė, a collection of Lithuanian sermons authored by Evangelical Lutheran priest Jonas Bretkūnas, one of the originators of Lithuanian printed literature.

The financial support of the Lithuanian Council for Culture was used to buy Postilė that was printed in Königsberg in 1591, the library said.

Postilė is the first printed Lithuanian postilla, as well as the first publication of Lithuanian prose.

Ten copies of Bretkūnas’ Postilė are currently stored in Lithuanian memory institutions, and one copy is part of the Ellex Valiūnas private art collection. The library’s purchase is the 12th copy that has had no mention in bibliographies.

Bretkūnas’ Postilė is currently the national library’s oldest book in the Lithuanian language.