Motherland of the Reformation. Event Highlights 2017-2018
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MOTHERLAND OF THE REFORMATION. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS 2017-2018. MOTHERLAND OF THE REFORMATION When Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483, Saxony was at the height of its power. Elector Ernst and his brother Albert had been governing the most powerful country in the heart of the German Empire since 1464. But only two years after Luther‘s birth Ernst and Albert committed the most capital mistake in Saxon history: they divided the country and the ruling Wettin dynasty split up into two lines, the Ernestine and the Albertine. For a time now there were two countries under the name of Saxony, the Electorate and the Duchy, which were to play the most important yet different roles in the life of Martin Luther and in the progression of Reformation. While the ducal Albertines made Dresden their new residence, Torgau became the center of power under the electoral Ernestines. After the Albertines had deprived the Ernestines of their electoral dignity one year after Martin Luther’s death, their strongly augmented Saxony, which by then also comprised Torgau and Wittenberg, the „Mother of Reformation“, had the leading role among the Protestant regions of Germany for a long time and made for the consolidation and advancement of the Reformation. Already by the end of the 16th century, Saxony was given the honorary title “Motherland of the Reformation”. On the occasion of the anniversary of the posting of the theses, the first Reformation Day was celebrated in Saxony in 1617. Today’s federal state of Saxony also commits to the legacy of the Reformation and celebrates its most important events. Celebrate with us! UNTIL 1 JANUARY 2018 | LEIPZIG GOD’S WORK AND WORD IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES – ART IN THE CONTEXT OF REFORMATION. The Reformation influenced nearly every area of life, not only in Germany but in other parts of Europe as well. It had also left lasting marks in art. On the occasion of the Re- formation anniversary, the Grassi Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig invites its visitors to rediscover selected objects in a historic context that are displayed in the permanent exhibition “Antike bis Historismus” (from antiquity to his- toricism). These exhibits comprise sculptures, pieces of gold work, ceramic works, tin objects as well as coins and medals. They are made accessible to the visitor and highlighted in the exhibition by a signposting system. An accompanying publication provides depictions and detailed information on the exhibits. Additionally, further stock objects that are usu- ally not displayed, especially graphic works and books, have been temporarily integrated in the permanent exhibition. 1 JANUARY UNTIL 27 DECEMBER 2017 | DRESDEN MUSIC IN THE DRESDEN CHURCH OF OUR LADY What was only a ruin after World War II rose anew bet- ween 1993 and 2005 thanks to donations from all over the world. Today, as in old times, it represents the perfection of church construction according to Luther’s ideals. After its renewed consecration the Church of Our Lady in Dresden (Frauenkirche) once more took its place as top class musical Church of our Lady in Dresden venue. Naturally, music events taking place throughout the of proper artistic objects as well as items on loan – shows anniversary year 2017 will focus on the Reformation as well. the impact the restructuring of church affairs after the Re- Therefore, the Frauenkirche has invited prominent artists formation has had and how it influenced everyday life in and even asked the composer Jörg Herchet to write a new the parishes. composition basing on a famous hymn of thanksgiving by Martin Luther that will première on 24 June. 26 MARCH UNTIL 27 AUGUST 2017 | BAUTZEN FIVE CENTURIES. THE SORBS AND THE REFORMATION. In Lusatia, the Sorbs have preserved their own culture until today. This Slavic minority profited from Luther’s demand for propagation of the Word of God in the corresponding mother tongue through the development of a proprietary literature and manifold cultural achievements. This is de- picted in a special exhibition in the Sorb Museum and in the Michaeliskirche Church in Bautzen. Market square in Zwickau 1 APRIL 2017 | TORGAU REOPENING OF THE MUSEUM 18 FEBRUARY UNTIL 28 MAY 2017 | ZWICKAU “KATHARINA-LUTHER-STUBE” RENEWAL AND OBSTINACY – ZWICKAU’S Luther and his wife were quite familiar with Torgau. Since PATH THROUGH REFORMATION. the Saxon electors who protected Luther and promoted his In Zwickau, the largest town in Ernestine Saxony, people ideas resided on Schloss Hartenfels Castle, the Reformer were open to Luther’s ideas, thus enabling the Reformation visited the town many times. In 1523, after her famous flight to spread quickly there. Though many conflicts arose on the from the Marienthron convent near Grimma his wife-to-be way, which made it necessary for Luther to intervene time Katharina stayed in Torgau for a while before travelling on and time again. In the year of the Reformation anniversa- to Wittenberg. In autumn of 1552, already a widow, she ry, the Zwickau Art Collections present a special exhibition fled from the plague in Wittenberg and had an accident near combining significant papers and documents from the ar- Torgau in the course of which she broke her pelvic bone. chives, bibliophilic publications and printings, art works The mainly originally preserved house in the city center of and objects from the famous library “Ratsschulbibliothek”, Torgau where she died three weeks later now houses the the municipal archive and further Zwickau museums so as to museum “Katharina-Luther-Stube”. On the occasion of the provide insights into the historic events that had wide-rang- Reformation anniversary it has been redesigned. It illustrates ing effects far beyond the city limits. the work of Luther’s wife, divided in five main stages of life, as well as her reception through the ages. 11 MARCH UNTIL 5 JUNE 2017 | DRESDEN LUTHERLAND. PHOTOGRAPHIES FROM THE WORLD OF FAITH. Starting in October 2015, the Leipzig photographer Jörg Gläscher began travelling the regions where the Reformation once started as well as other regions of Germany in order to encounter people and landscapes where Luther’s ideas have been kept alive. His works are displayed in the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden, which is unique in its kind and constantly deals with current topics evolving around hu- mans and society. 19 MARCH UNTIL 28 MAY 2017 | CHEMNITZ THE NEW FAITH AND THE ART. The building of the Chemnitz Schlossberg Museum itself represents the profound changes that were caused by the Reformation. The Benedictine monastery was closed and converted into a hunting lodge for the elector which, after numerous further changes, eventually became today’s muse- um. In the anniversary year, a special exhibition – consisting The memorial slab of Katharina Luther at St Mary’s church in Torgau 1 APRIL UNTIL 5 NOVEMBER 2017 | NOSSEN PROFESS! SAXON NOBILITY IN THE RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY. The introduction of the Reformation and the initially opposing positions of the Ernestines and Albertines forced Saxon no- bility to pick a position in the question of faith, often with far-reaching consequences that even lead to whole families splitting up. By means of personal objects a special exhibi- tion at Schloss Nossen Castle shows the aristocrats’ journey through life underlining the distortions of those times. 5 APRIL UNTIL 17 JUNE 2017 | CHEMNITZ LUTHER AND MARX. In GDR times, Luther was at first defamed as class enemy, partly because he had supported the suppression of the peasants’ uprising, but was later declared a revolutionary. In Chemnitz, back then deliberately named “town of Karl Marx”, socialism and Christianity clashed especially hard. But what unites Luther and Marx was the attempt to change Depiction of the Dresden Elbe Valley on a coat of Elector Johann Georg I. society and humans for the better. This is reflected by a Chemnitz project on the occasion of the anniversary year 9 APRIL 2017 | DRESDEN dealing with the topic within the scope of music, literature OPENING OF THE RENAISSANCE WING and dance. IN THE DRESDEN ROYAL PALACE When Elector Augustus established the “Kunstkammer” (art chamber) in 1560 he laid the foundations for the world-fa- mous Dresden State Art Collections. With the opening of the Renaissance wing the former Albertine residence shows the world-wide most comprising collection of ceremonial weapons, precious items and other objects from the Renais- sance period and the times of Reformation. Moreover, the electoral wardrobe invites you to a historic fashion show. The mere fact that the robes of Saxon rulers and their wives have been preserved over the centuries is most impressive and unique. The Dresden Royal Palace itself is an authentic place of Reformation history. It was built by Elector Mau- rice in superb Renaissance shapes as the new center of the Protestant world after he had deprived his Ernestine cousin of his elector’s dignity after the battle at Mühlberg. Maurice The small courtyard of the Dresden Royal Palace also built the castle chapel, one of the first Protestant church buildings, the portal of which depicts the profession of faith 8 APRIL UNTIL 5 NOVEMBER 2017 | MEISSEN of the former Saxon rulers. LUTHER, SONGS AND OFFICIALESE. As opposed to other exhibitions, the exhibition in the Meis- 12 APRIL 2017 UNTIL 28 JANUARY 2018 | LEIPZIG sen Municipal Museum, housed by a former Franciscan LUTHER IN DISPUTE. LEIPZIG AND monastery, shows an “everyday picture” of the Reforma- THE CONSEQUENCES. tion and specifically illustrates how the lives of the Meissen In the location of the Leipzig New Town Hall there once townspeople changed due to this event. But it also high- stood Pleißenburg Castle. Breaking his promise to keep lights another aspect: for his Bible translation Luther used silent, which he had made after his hearing at the Reichstag “Meissen officialese”, which consequently became the basis in Augsburg, Martin Luther participated in the Leipzig Dis- for a uniform German language.