Jonas Bretkūnas

Jonas Bretkūnas, Johann(es) Bretke, also known as Bretkus (born 1536 in Bammeln near Friedland – 1602 Königsberg was a Lutheran pastor and was one of the best known developers of the written Lithuanian language. He translated the Bible into Lithuanian, was the author of twelve Lithuanian books, and a historian as well.

Biography

Jonas Bretkūnas, Johann(es) Bretke was born in Bammeln (now in Pravdinsky District) in the Duchy of Prussia (a fief of Poland) in 1536. His father was German (according to Gerullis) or Germanized Prussian, and his mother from a native Prussian family. The language spoken in the area was primarily German, while Jonas Bretkūnas' mother tongues were Old Prussian and Lithuanian. He continued with his translation of the Bible and other scholarly works. In 1589, he published several new works, in particular "Giesmes duchaunos" (Spiritual Hymns), based on Martynas Mažvydas' works, as well as a small collection of hymns called "Kancionalas netukriu giesmiu", and a prayer book translation from German into Lithuanian "Kollectas", all printed by Georg Osterberg of Königsberg.

On November 29, 1590, Bretke-Bretkūnas finally completed his translation of the Bible (Old and New Testaments). It is the first surviving translation of the Bible into the Lithuanian language. The matter of publishing this Bible was discussed by the Lutheran college, but he failed to receive permission to publish it. Later the manuscripts of the Bretkūnas Bible were purchased by Duke Georg Friedrich. In 1591, he finished the Postilla (Postilė), one of his best known works, consisting of two parts. In his final years Bretkūnas continued to unsuccessfully lobby for the publication of his Bible, but in 1602 he died.

Notable works of Johannes Bretke/Jonas Bretkūnas

Chronicon des Landes Preussen, 1578–1579 Giesmės duchaunas, 1589 Kollectas, alba Paspalitas Maldas, 1589 Kancionalas nekurių giesmių, 1589 Biblia, 1590 , 1591

Examples of surviving manuscripts or books can be found in Germany, Lithuania and Sweden. His Postilla work is kept at Vilnius University, Lithuania. The only one surviving example of "Kancionalas netukriu giesmiu" is at Uppsala University, Sweden. Bretkūnas' Bible is kept in Prussian Privy State Archive, Berlin, Germany. In 2002, in order to commemorate his translation, the original manuscripts of his Bible was brought to Lithuania from Germany, insured for more than 2,3 million euro.