Matthäus Prätorius
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Matthäus Prätorius (born c. 1635 probably in Memel; died c. 1704 in Weyherststadt) was a Protestant pastor, later a Roman-Catholic priest, a historian and ethnographer.
He probably grew up speaking both German language and Lithuanian language, which helped him when preaching to the ethnic Lithuanians in Ducal Prussia. His work about Prussia and its culture, Deliciae Prussicae oder Preussische Schaubühne, resembles the work of Christoph Hartknoch, with whom he collaborated. Prätorius' work provides many more ethnographic informations regarding local Lithuanians and Old Prussians. It was only published partially, in 1871. A complete edition, in seven volumes, with original German text and Lithuanian translation is under preparation in Lithuania.
In 1701, having converted from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism, he appealed against an ongoing case of witch hunt.
[edit] Reference
- Inge Lukšaitė, Vilija Gerulaitienė: Matas Pretorijus. Prūsijos įdomybės, arba Prūsijos regykla. Vilnius: Pradai. Bd. 1 (1999), Bd. 2 (2004). ISBN 9986-776-82-1
