Klaipėdos universitetas

The conditions and the environment of the mendicant religious orders (Dominicans, Franciscan Conventuals, Franciscan Observants, Carmelites, and Augustinians) in the holdings of the Teutonic Order in Prussia differed from those in Western Europe. In newly built castles and newly founded cities, German and Polish-speaking communities predominated; while Prussians, unfamiliar with the basics of Christianity, prevailed in rural territories. The network of parish churches declined towards the eastern and northern boundaries of the state. Therefore, the mendicant orders operated there on a different model. An examination of its characteristics is carried out by means of an analysis of the stages, development and dynamics of the settlement of mendicant orders in Prussia. An attempt is made to identify the organisation of their provision and the supporting milieu. Particular attention is paid to the impact of mendicant orders on the deepening of the faith of the local Prussian population in the eastern part of the Teutonic Order’s holdings.

The article is devoted to the researches into ‘the texts – books – libraries’ resources in the men’s orders in Vilnius from the 17th–18th C. The analysis of the source database helps us to reconstruct the picture of the intellectual output of the monasteries in Vilnius. Grand Duchy of Lithuania for many years was the place of working many various monasteries. Vilnius was the most important centre of the monastic life in the Nobles’ Commonwealth in the 18th century. In Vilnius there were orders engaged in education, management of schools, scientific and other publication, and charitable works. In this work great importance was always attached to a book, it helped to cultivate the intellectual traditions of the community. They had an important influence on the spiritual life of the monks.