The Politics of Literacy: The Simulation of Reading

Revolutionary innovations of Martin Luther led Europe to increasingly spreading use and development of literacy and native literary culture. In 1524 Luther turned to aldermen and mayors of all German towns with appeal to found everywhere higher and lower schools and libraries. Luther’s appeal was actively followed in Germany as well as other countries, having joined reformation. In recent years constantly more attention has been paid on cultural impacts of reformation. Although it is diffi cult to add new sources to the history of reformation in Estonia, it may still be claimed that various new data can be submitted about the development of important fi elds of literacy and written world, i.e. schools, books and libraries. Th is would explain the background of several known facts and importance of their occurrence. An example could be still lacking more precise data about foundation of schools in Tallinn, distribution of books and post-reformation development of personal as well as church libraries. Existing researches of school history have noted that school life continued after reformation in downtown of Tallinn only from 1528, which is logically highly doubtful, taking account of former school tradition of a hundred years – in 1428 town school was established in downtown. In reality schools were operated constantly without a break and even new schools were founded; thus we can claim that reformers did not keep Latin School in downtown closed for several years and according to the appeal of Martin Luther elementary schools teaching in German language were founded for boys as well as girls. Basing on more recent data we can claim that in Tallinn several schools were founded after reformation, including elementary schools for girls and even Estonians, and the number of socalled hedge schools (private schools lacking offi cial license) had become too big. However, school was a source of culture, where literacy and printed book was of primary importance.