Poland in 1558, and was first a teacher in the Calvinistic gymnasium
at Pińczów and later principal of the Calvinistic school in Cracow,
conducting a bookstore at the same time. Owing to his fame as a
bookdealer, he won the honor of being designated by King Stephen
Batory in 1578 as court bookdealer.[214] Estienne Le Riche, known
also as Stephen Dives, of Lyons, seems to have succeeded Tenaud, and
was an important intermediary in the book business between Poland
and the West.[215] As a result of this active book trade in Poland
in the sixteenth century, the writings of Luther and Calvin and of
other reformers were speedily imported into Poland and received wide
circulation. As early as 1520 Luther’s books were brought to Cracow,
sold in the university buildings to the students, and were read and
discussed by them with the tacit approval of the faculty until they
were condemned by Pope Leo X.[216]
In the spread of intelligence regarding the new religious movement the
Polish magnates, favoring and supporting the Reformation, played also
an active and important part. A number of them established printing
presses of their own for the distinct purpose of religious propaganda.
Thus, for instance, Michael Radziwill, the Black, an ardent supporter
of Calvinism, founded a printing press at Brześć-Litewski, where
Calvinistic literature was printed, and where in 1563 the Radziwill
Bible was published. John Kiszka, starosta of Żmudź, established
presses at Łosk and Nieśwież. These together with Raków and for a time
with Pińczów were publication centres for Arian literature. At Nieśwież
in 1572 Budny’s Arian Bible was published. The presses at Pińczów
were maintained by the Oleśnickis. Moreover, we must not fail to bear
in mind that one of the earliest, most prolific and most influential
Polish Protestant publication centres was Königsberg in East Prussia,
where Prince Albert had established one of the best and largest
printing and publishing enterprises of the time for the dissemination
of the Reformation doctrines both in his own duchy and throughout
Poland.[217]
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