Lot #59: Rare 1946–1947 Latvian Displaced Persons (DP) Camp Hymnals & 1966 Exile Calendar Lot

Historically significant, intact lot of four Latvian-language religious publications issued between 1946 and 1966. These volumes were produced by and for the Latvian diaspora community (trimda) who fled Soviet occupation during and immediately after World War II. This collection offers a profound, physical look into the spiritual and cultural resilience of Baltic refugees living in Displaced Persons (DP) camps across Germany and later settling in the United States. The Lot Includes: • 1. Saīsināta Dziesmu Grāmata (Abridged Hymn Book) — 1946: Published in Hamburg, Germany by the legendary publishing houses of Pētera Mantnieks and Edgars Ķiploks. Printed by Schlütersche in Hannover. Includes a poignant foreword marking the "second year of our people's refugee journey." Features a loose vintage German floral blessing card (Psalm 100:5). • 2. Dziesmu Grāmata (Hymn Book) with Exile Supplement — 1947: Published in Stuttgart, Germany by Pastor A. Gulbis. Hardcover cloth binding with a beautiful frontispiece engraving. Features the rare trimdas dziesmu pielikumu (exile hymn supplement) specifically printed for the refugee congregations. • 3. Jaunā Derība (New Testament & Hymns): Pocket-sized black cloth hardcover with a beautifully embossed cross. This volume is printed entirely in traditional antique Fraktur (Gothic) script. Features two loose, vintage German religious bookmarks from Gladbeck (including Luke 10:20). • 4. Latvijas Ev.-Lut. Baznīcas Kalendārs (Church Calendar) — 1966: The 18th annual edition published entirely in exile (svešumā). Edited by Pastor Jānis V. Strautnieks in Glenview, Illinois, USA, and printed in West Germany. Features distinctive mid-century cover graphics by artist Ansis Bērziņš, essays by Latvian Archbishop in exile Prof. Dr. K. Kundziņš, a traditional Latvian name-day calendar, and artwork from the Grand Rapids, Michigan Latvian congregation. • The Publisher Significance (Mantnieks & Ķiploks): Pēteris Mantnieks was a premier Latvian cartographer and publisher who, upon fleeing to Germany, immediately set up printing operations in the DP camps to replace destroyed literature. Materials, ink, and paper were incredibly scarce in 1946 Germany, making any surviving book from this specific Hamburg/Hannover collaboration highly collectible. • The Exile Context & Authorship: Authors like Archbishop Kārlis Kundziņš and Pastor Strautnieks were prominent intellectual and spiritual leaders who helped preserve Latvian identity when the country's culture was being aggressively suppressed back home under Soviet rule. • Linguistic Trait (Fraktur Script): The New Testament in this lot uses Fraktur (Gothic) type. While Latvian transitioned primarily to the Latin/Roman alphabet in the early 20th century, the exile church intentionally kept printing religious texts in Fraktur for older generations who associated it with traditional spirituality. The 1946 Hamburg booklet and the 1947 Stuttgart hymnal carry the highest historical value because they are pure "DP Camp era" artifacts. Pickup category timeslot {A}