Gotthard Friedrich Stender

Gotthard Friedrich Stender (Latvian: Gothards Frīdrihs Stenders; 1714-1796) was a Baltic German Lutheran priest who played an outstanding role in Latvia's history of culture. He was the first Latvian grammarian and lexicographer, founder of the Latvian secular literature in the 18th century. In the spirit of Enlightenment He wrote the first Latvian-German and German-Latvian dictionaries, wrote the first encyclopedia “The book of high wisdom of the world and nature” (1774), wrote the first illustrated Latvian alphabet book (1787).
Stender produced didactic tales and idyllic poems meant to educate and uplift the Latvian peasants who were oppressed by serfdom. He wrote secular poetry ranging from philosophical odes to the grandeur of nature to unpretentious, folksy songs, which widely influenced the literary taste of the nation, and won extreme popularity. His works, although written in a simple language and style, meant for the barely educated 18th century Latvians, promoted the education in Latvian schools throughout the whole 19th century. His Latvian grammar book and a dictionary was used not only by Latvians and Baltic Germans, but also by foreign linguists from all over the Europe. Stender along with Johann Gottfried Herder was the first author who analysed Latvian folk-songs (see:dainas), riddles, proverbs and sayings.