Gotthard Friedrich Stender


Gotthard Friedrich Stender was a Baltic German Lutheran pastor who played an outstanding role in Latvia's history of culture. He was the first Latvian grammarian and lexicographer, founder of the Latvian secular literature in the 18th century. In the spirit of Enlightenment He wrote the first Latvian-German and German-Latvian dictionaries, wrote the first encyclopedia “The book of high wisdom of the world and nature”, wrote the first illustrated Latvian alphabet book.

Biography

Gotthard Friedrich Stenders father was a lutheran pastor in Laši parish Hermann Konrad Stender. His grandfather also was a pastor in Selonia region of Duchy of Courland.
He got his first education from his father but later studied in Subate german school where one of his main interests was latin language. From 1736 until 1739 Stender studied theology and ancient languages in universities of Jena and Halle. After studies he returned to Courland and worked as a private teacher in Lielbērstele. In 1742 he became deputy director of Jelgava city school.
From 1744 until 1752 he was lutheran pastor in the parish of Linde - Birzgale. During this period he started to study latvian language. From 1753 until 1759 he was a lutheran pastor in Žeimelis where lived a notable latvian community. Here his health worsened and Stender decided to leave his pastors duties in 1759. Together with his family he traveled to Germany and in 1761 he published volume of Latvian grammar in Braunschweig. It was later studied by Herder during his stay in Riga.
Until 1763 Stender worked as a teacher in Helmstedt and also was a rector of Realschule in Konigslutter. After a conflict with school administration he left Germany and became professor of geography in Copenhagen, Denmark. There he made a globe for King of Denmark Frederik V. There Stender also became interested of ideas of Freemasonry and became a member of a lodge.
In 1765 Stender returned to Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. For the rest of his life he was a pastor of Sēlpils and Sunākste parishes. All his most famous works are published during this period. He never lost interest about science and had active correspondence with St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences about scientific issues.
Gotthard Friedrich Stender died in his home in Sunākste, 17 May 1796. His son and grandson also was a lutheran pastors.

Works

Stender produced didactic tales and idyllic poems meant to educate and uplift the Latvian peasants who were oppressed by serfdom. He wrote secular poetry ranging from philosophical odes to the grandeur of nature to unpretentious, folksy songs, which widely influenced the literary taste of the nation, and won extreme popularity. His works, although written in a simple language and style, meant for the barely educated 18th century Latvians, promoted the education in Latvian schools throughout the whole 19th century.
His Latvian grammar book and a dictionary was used not only by Latvians and Baltic Germans, but also by foreign linguists from all over the Europe. Stender along with Johann Gottfried Herder was the first author who analysed Latvian folk-songs, riddles, proverbs and sayings.