The Radziwills and the book

The Radziwills, “the uncrowned kings”, are the greatest noble family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Representatives of the family held the highest administrative and military posts and owned numerous lands and estates in different countries of Europe. After the partitions of Rzeczpospolita they entered the ranks of aristocracy of Russia, Prussia and Austria-Hungary.

The Radziwills went down to the history of book culture as editors and authors, founders of printing houses and libraries: Nicolay Radziwill the Black (1515–1565), Nicolay Christophe Radziwill the Orphan (1549–1616), Franciscka Ursula Radziwill (1705–1753), Antony Heinrich Radziwil (1775–1833), Maria Dorota Radziwill de Castellane (1840–1915).

The exposition presents books of the ХVІ–XX centuries: Brest editions of 1566 from the printing-house founded by Radziwill the Black (one of the first printing-houses in Belarus), the eminent Peregrination – the travel diary of Nicolay Christophe Radziwill in Latin (1610) and Polish (1604), and also the reedition of the known Radziwills’ map (1640).

The unique book of Ursula Radziwill’s dramas Comedies and Tragedies (the XVIII century) with engravings by M. Zhukovsky based on the princess’ sketches is on display.

The exposition features the exclusively interesting edition of the opera Faust (Berlin, 1835) by composer, patron of art, political figure and founder of “the Radziwills’ Berlin era” Antony Heinrich Radziwil. He was the only composer with whom great German poet Goethe cooperated as a librettist.

Also the offered exposition presents works and letters of Maria Dorota Radziwill who initiated the reconstruction of the Nesvizh castle and the library in the late ХІХ century.

Many of editions have been recently returned to Belarus with the support of public organizations and private persons and are on display for the first time.