The Baltic Battle of Books. Formation and Relocation of European Libraries in the Confessional Age (c. 1500 – c. 1650) and Their Afterlife.

"The Baltic Battle of Books: Formation and Relocation of European Libraries in the Confessional Age (c. 1500 – c. 1650) and Their Afterlife" is a book that delves into the world of book collections in the Baltic region during the early modern period. It specifically focuses on libraries acquired through war, particularly the confiscation of Catholic institution libraries by the Swedish crown. The book explores the motivations behind these confiscations, such as weakening Catholic institutions and supplying books to Swedish universities and schools. It also examines the preservation and destruction of these collections, as well as case studies on the creation, looting, and reconstruction of libraries in the Baltic region. The article also touches on the supply of books to Scandinavia before and after the Reformation, the role of Northern German merchants and printers, the contribution of British Jesuits to Lithuania's print culture, and the fate of Catholic libraries in Sweden. It raises important questions about the ownership and preservation of displaced book collections and their significance in shaping identities and memories. [Extracted from the article]