Academic Centre
Peter Schmidt (Pēteris Šmits, 1869-1938) was an outstanding linguist, ethnographer, ethnologist, folklorist and sinologist.
P. Schmidt studied philology at the University of Moscow (1896-1899) and Eastern languages at the University of St.-Petersburg (1892-1896), he then had in-service training in Peking (1896-1899). After returning to tsarist Russia, the young scientist became one of the founders of the Vladivostok Far East Institute (1899). In 1902, after defending his dissertation on Chinese Mandarin grammar ("Опыт мандаринской грамматики с текстами для упражнений"), P. Schmidt became a professor of the institute, where he taught Chinese, Manchu and Mongolian philology and also Altaistic.
During his research work, P. Schmidt carried out various ethnographic field investigations in China, Manchuria, Mongolia, the Far East of Russia and Siberia. There he obtained valuable items for the library of Institute and also for his private collection.
In 1920 P. Schmidt returned to independent Latvia to join the academic staff of the Faculty of Philology and Philosophy at the Higher School of Latvia. There he delivered lectures in the disciplines of Latvian mythology, Introduction to Chinese Philology, Chinese Language and Asian Culture etc.
The collection of P. Schmidt’s books is one of the biggest donations and this valuable special collection contains 2162 items. Editions in Oriental studies, like sinology, manchurology, altaistics, mongolistics and Japanistics are of the greatest value and significance. The collection includes texts of editions in Chinese, Manchu, Japanese, Mongolian, Tungus, Udege, Nanai etc. The pearls of this collection are Chinese and Manchu books and manuscripts, especially xylographs.
The Professor’s research on Latvian mythology, beliefs, folksongs, fairytales and legends, as well as works in Baltic philology and ethnology, give an addition value to this donation.
Items can be ordered via Union catalog.
The books of the collection can be seen in the virtual exhibition "Five moments short of a century: Treasures of the Library".
Kolekcija piedāvā tiešsaistes piekļuvi daļai nozīmīgu izdevumu no profesoram Pēterim Šmitam (1869-1938) piederējušo grāmatu kolekcijas. Te iekļauti galvenokārt bibliogrāfiskie retumi - pirmās grāmatas Sibīrijas un Krievijas Tālo Austrumu mazo tautu valodās, kā arī valodu mācīšanas metodiskie līdzekļi. To unikalitāte ir mēģinājumā ieviest latīņu grafiku šo Krievijai pakļauto tautu rakstības izveidošanā XX gadsimta 30. gados.
Kolekcijā ietverti arī vairāki P. Šmita darbi, tai skaitā viņa disertācija par ķīniešu valodas mandarīnu dialekta gramatiku, litografētas lekcijas valodniecībā, viņa sastādītās ķīniešu pasakas u.c. To papildina vācu pētnieka Hartmuta Valravensa (Hartmut Walravens) plašais raksts par profesoru P. Šmitu, par pamatu ņemot Haralda Biezā apcerējumu.
