Preface

      JOHANN ERNST VON HOLST (1828–1898) was a Lutheran pastor in the Baltic country of Latvia. In the 1800s Latvia had a strong German population that dated to the thirteenth century. These Germans were for the most part upright, community-minded citizens, deeply grounded in their Lutheran faith. Riga, the capital, was part of the Hanseatic League; its citizens were merchants. (Around 1890, Russia took over Latvia, forcing the Germans to emigrate to Germany or to accept “Russification” of their schools and public institutions.)

      Von Holst served as pastor in Wenden (today Cesis). He was remembered for his lively narrations of Bible stories and detailed descriptions, particularly in his children’s sermons and confirmation classes. In 1877 he became senior pastor in the St. James Church in Riga. He was president of the board of Riga’s Magdalene Asylum – a home that gave women who had nowhere else to go work and accommodation.¹ He retired as pastor at Pentecost 1890 and died July 26, 1898.

      Von Holst published a history and character