Albrecht Goštautas

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Goštautas handing the Statute to the King, litas coin

Albrecht Goštautas (Lithuanian: Albertas Goštautas, Latin: Albertus Gastold, Belarusian: Альберт Гаштольд, Polish: Olbracht Gasztołd) (c. 1480 - 1539) - was a Lithuanian noble of the Goštautai family from ethnic Lithuanian lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Voivode of Navahrudak since 1508, Voivode of Polotsk since 1514, Voivode of Trakai since 1519 and Voivode of Vilnius since 1522. In 1522 became a Grand Chancellor of Lithuania. He was the initiator and the editor of the First Statute of Lithuania, as a successor of his staunch opponent Mikolaj Radziwiłł^[1], who rivaled him in the precedence in the Council of Lords. His subsequent rival in influence in the Grand Duchy was Konstanty Ostrogski.

Albrecht was a son of Martynas Goštautas and father of Stanislovas Goštautas, last male heir of the Goštautai family. He was buried in Vilnius Cathedral, where his tomb remains till present day.

It is considered that Albrecht Goštautas, as well as the rest of Goštautai family members, has retained their native Lithuanian language.^[2] Influenced by the ideas of Reformation, Goštautas was a supporter of the Lithuanian culture and language in state affairs and had a nationalistic attitude: he seceded Lithuanian and Polish speaking Franciscans, took care of the representatives of the Lithuanian literature, as Abraomas Kulvietis, and had shown distrust to Ruthenian inhabitants of the Grand Duchy.^[3]