Museum of the Bible named Ernest Gluck is located in the picturesque town of alūksne. They say that this Museum is unique in Europe, and sometimes claim that he is the only one in the world.

The Bible Museum is located in a small historic house, built in the early XX century. The building was given to the parish of the Lutheran Church after Latvia has been restored independence. The house was renovated by donations from parishioners.

The Museum exposition tells about the important work of German pastor Ernest Gluck (years of life: 1654-1705) for the benefit of the city of alūksne and throughout Latvia. Glitch was a native of Saxony. The Wittenberg and Leipzig universities received a theological education. In 1680 he became a pastor. In Marienburg (formerly known as the town of alūksne) Gluck went to live with 1683. It was here in 1685 1689 he translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek languages into Latvian. This Bible weighs 4 kilograms, the volume is 4874 pages.

When the pastor began to work on the translation, he planted near his house oak. 4 years later, after finishing work, it was planted the second oak. Both historic tree-giant survived until our days. They are called oaks of Gluck. Not far from them erected a memorial stone to commemorate the pastor.

There is a version according to which the first oak appeared in honor of the completion of the translation of the old Testament and the other at the end of the day translation on the New Testament. It probably is. Most likely, the pastor would not be able to transfer within 4 years of the Latvian language and old and New Testament.

Also Ernest Glitch is the compiler of several books on Russian grammar and geography.

Interestingly, Gluck was brought up girl March Skavronsky, She was an orphan and lived with native children of the pastor. In the future she became the wife of Peter I and of the first Russian Empress Catherine I.

Buried the pastor at the old German cemetery, located near Marina grove.

Until the XX century the Bible, translated by Gluck, was the largest printed work published in Latvia. It was printed in Riga, in the printing Johann Georg Vilken. But the original manuscript of the translation of the Bible into the Latvian language is stored in the capital of Sweden – Stockholm. Kind of this Holy book for Latvians-Christians depicted on the emblem of the city Aluksne.

Also in the Museum visitors can get acquainted with the many different editions of the Bible, starting with the first translated to the modern computer. The Museum's collection is very rich and diverse. It consists of more than 220 copies of the Bible. Also presents 170 editions of the New Testament, 210 Psalters, 40 books of sermons and more than 210 other Christian books such as the old Testament, the Gospels, the books in Latvian and other languages (more than 35 languages of the world).

Recently the Museum Ernest Gluck Japanese Susumu Nakagawa presented the Bible in Japanese. For the first time, having been in Aluksne, Susumu visited the Museum of the Bible who made an indelible impression on him. And then he decided to find in Japan Holy Scripture, translated into Japanese, and then personally deliver it to Latvia.

In the Museum you will be able to buy the Bible in Latvian and Russian languages, published in our time, other Christian literature, Souvenirs and postcards.