Latvian-Estonian Joint Conference “500 Years of Latvian and Estonian Books and Written Languages”

A joint conference of Estonian and Latvian language researchers will be held in Riga, at the National Library of Latvia, on May 23-24, 2025. The conference will focus on the role of books in the history of the language. The conference is organized by the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia in cooperation with the National Library of Latvia.

The year 2025 marks a significant milestone in the cultural, literary, and linguistic histories of both Latvia and Estonia. Exactly 500 years ago, in 1525, the Lübeck city council in Germany confiscated a shipment that included Lutheran books written in Latvian and Estonian. Although the actual books have not survived or been discovered, this year is traditionally considered the starting point of Latvian and Estonian book history.

Books are not only significant as objects; they also represent elements of culture, politics, and daily life, while serving as catalysts in the development of linguistic history. The conference will focus on the linguistic aspects of books and their role in shaping the histories of the Latvian and Estonian languages.

The event will explore various aspects of linguistic history, including the development of written languages, language contact, the histories of specific significant texts, and the contribution of digital methods to research in these areas. Alongside the history of Latvian and Estonian written languages, the conference will also address regional Baltic languages such as Latgalian, Livonian, Lutsi Estonian, and South Estonian within the broader framework of 500 years of book history.

Conference program.

The conference will be held as part of the National Library of Latvia's series “500 Years of the Latvian Book.” This diverse program of events, dedicated to the first printed text in the Latvian language (1525), runs from 2021 to 2025 and highlights the key processes that initiated and advanced the spread of the written and printed word in Latvian.

Additional information:

Professor Pēteris Vanags

Baltic Linguistics

Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies

Faculty of Humanities

University of Latvia

E-mail: peteris.vanags@lu.lv

Maija Treile

Head of the Research and Interpretation Centre

The National Library of Latvia

E-mail: maija.treile@lnb.lv