Lot #47: Rare Latvian Diaspora Set: Kārlis Štrāls 3-Vol. Collection – "Karš" I & II (1963-64) & "Di

An exceptional opportunity to acquire a beautiful, historically significant three-volume hardcover collection of Latvian literature published in exile. This set features the complete two-part historical epic Karš (War) and the short story collection Dieviņa ļaudis (God's People) by the prominent Latvian writer Kārlis Štrāls. All volumes were issued by the definitive Latvian diaspora publishing house, Tilta Apgāds. Item Specifications • Author: Kārlis Štrāls (1880–1970) • Language: Latvian • Publisher: Tilta Apgāds (Bridge Publishers), Minneapolis, USA • Binding: Deluxe publisher's cloth hardcovers with ornate Latvian ethnographic spine gilding. Dieviņa ļaudis includes its original illustrated dust jacket. • Included Volumes: 1. Karš: Romāns 2 daļās – I (War: A Novel in 2 Parts – Vol. 1) Published: 1963 2. Karš: Romāns 2 daļās – II (War: A Novel in 2 Parts – Vol. 2) Published: 1964 3. Dieviņa ļaudis: Stāsti (God's People: Stories) Published: 1970 • Cover Art Credits: The dust jacket for Dieviņa ļaudis features distinctive mid-century modern design work credited on the flap to the noted diaspora artist Ojārs Jēgens ("Ojāra Jēgena vāks"). • The Publisher (Tilta Apgāds): Following the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states during WWII, thousands of Latvian intellectuals, writers, and artists fled to Western Europe and eventually settled in North America. Operating out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tilta Apgāds (directed by Andris Sproģis) became one of the most vital cultural lifelines for the displaced community. They published high-quality literature to preserve the Latvian language and identity outside of Soviet censorship. Diaspora editions like these were printed in small, limited runs primarily for subscribers, making complete sets difficult to find today. • The Author (Kārlis Štrāls): Štrāls was a monumental figure in Latvian literature, a poet, writer, and translator who lived through the tumultuous shifts of early 20th-century European history. His magnum opus, Karš, draws heavily from raw historical realism and personal reflections on wartime experiences. Because these specific volumes were published in the West during the height of the Cold War, they represent an essential chapter of "Exile Literature" (Trimdas literatūra). • Design Excellence: The striking blue, white, and black dust jacket by Ojārs Jēgens captures the poignant, melancholic essence of Latvian mid-century exile art. Combined with the traditional geometric gold tooling on the spines of the uniform hardcovers, this set stands out beautifully on a collector’s shelf. Pickup category timeslot {A}