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 Reformation 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 historicism). 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 usually 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 between 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
anniversary year 2017 will focus on the Reformation as well.
Therefore, the Frauenkirche has invited prominent artists
and even asked the composer Jörg Herchet to write a new
composition basing on a famous hymn of thanksgiving by
Martin Luther that will première on 24 June.
of proper artistic objects as well as items on loan – shows
the impact the restructuring of church affairs after the Reformation has had and how it influenced everyday life in
the parishes.
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 depicted in a special exhibition in the Sorb Museum and in
the Michaeliskirche Church in Bautzen.
Market square in Zwickau
1 APRIL 2017 | TORGAU
18 FEBRUARY UNTIL 28 MAY 2017 | ZWICKAU
REOPENING OF THE MUSEUM
“KATHARINA-LUTHER-STUBE”
RENEWAL AND OBSTINACY – ZWICKAU’S
PATH THROUGH REFORMATION.
In Zwickau, the largest town in Ernestine Saxony, people
were open to Luther’s ideas, thus enabling the Reformation
to spread quickly there. Though many conflicts arose on the
way, which made it necessary for Luther to intervene time
and time again. In the year of the Reformation anniversary, the Zwickau Art Collections present a special exhibition
combining significant papers and documents from the archives, bibliophilic publications and printings, art works
and objects from the famous library “Ratsschulbibliothek”,
the municipal archive and further Zwickau museums so as to
provide insights into the historic events that had wide-ranging effects far beyond the city limits.
Luther and his wife were quite familiar with Torgau. Since
the Saxon electors who protected Luther and promoted his
ideas resided on Schloss Hartenfels Castle, the Reformer
visited the town many times. In 1523, after her famous flight
from the Marienthron convent near Grimma his wife-to-be
Katharina stayed in Torgau for a while before travelling on
to Wittenberg. In autumn of 1552, already a widow, she
fled from the plague in Wittenberg and had an accident near
Torgau in the course of which she broke her pelvic bone.
The mainly originally preserved house in the city center of
Torgau where she died three weeks later now houses the
museum “Katharina-Luther-Stube”. On the occasion of the
Reformation anniversary it has been redesigned. It illustrates
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 humans 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 museum. 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 nobility 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 exhibition 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
society and humans for the better. This is reflected by
a Chemnitz project on the occasion of the anniversary year
dealing with the topic within the scope of music, literature
and dance.
The small courtyard of the Dresden Royal Palace
8 APRIL UNTIL 5 NOVEMBER 2017 | MEISSEN
Depiction of the Dresden Elbe Valley on a coat of Elector Johann Georg I.
9 APRIL 2017 | DRESDEN
OPENING OF THE RENAISSANCE WING
IN THE DRESDEN ROYAL PALACE
When Elector Augustus established the “Kunstkammer” (art
chamber) in 1560 he laid the foundations for the world-famous 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 Renaissance 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 Maurice 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
also built the castle chapel, one of the first Protestant church
buildings, the portal of which depicts the profession of faith
of the former Saxon rulers.
LUTHER, SONGS AND OFFICIALESE.
As opposed to other exhibitions, the exhibition in the Meissen Municipal Museum, housed by a former Franciscan
monastery, shows an “everyday picture” of the Reformation and specifically illustrates how the lives of the Meissen
townspeople changed due to this event. But it also highlights another aspect: for his Bible translation Luther used
“Meissen officialese”, which consequently became the basis
for a uniform German language. In the process Luther impressed with rich wordiness and his own neologisms that are
still part of the common German vocabulary today. At the
same time another exhibition is presented: “Jan Hus und
seine Zeit” (Jan Hus and his period).
12 APRIL 2017 UNTIL 28 JANUARY 2018 | LEIPZIG
LUTHER IN DISPUTE. LEIPZIG AND
THE CONSEQUENCES.
In the location of the Leipzig New Town Hall there once
stood Pleißenburg Castle. Breaking his promise to keep
silent, which he had made after his hearing at the Reichstag
in Augsburg, Martin Luther participated in the Leipzig Disputation there in 1519. During this debate with Johannes
Eck he stated the differences of his opinion on the doctrine
of the Catholic church and formulated his “Sola Scriptura”,
which lead to the (originally not intended) break with the
pope and the Albertine Duke George the Bearded. In Leip-
zig, his followers were also referred to as “Lutherans” for the
first time. An exhibition in the Leipzig Municipal Museum
examines the Leipzig Disputation and its consequences as
the repression of Reformation ideology in Albertine Saxony, the introduction of the Reformation in Leipzig in 1539
following the death of George the Bearded and the further
development up to the Schmalkaldic War. The central exhibits comprise the silver “Lutherbecher” (Luther cup), the
wedding ring of Luther’s wife Katharina and paintings and
epitaphs by the two Cranachs.
Chapel at Augustusburg Castle with Cranach Altar
29 APRIL UNTIL 5 NOVEMBER 2017 | AUGUSTUSBURG
LUTHER AND THE SECRET OF
THE CRANACH ALTAR.
The Old Town Hall in Leipzig
After the death of Elector Maurice his brother Augustus
became his successor. He ended all religious and political
conflicts and lead Saxony back to prosperity. Having done
so he could afford to build a superb castle compound in
Renaissance style on a taper of quartz porphyry in the Ore
Mountains in 1568 that was named after him. In the castle
chapel that was consecrated in 1572 and sets the background for a special exhibition in the anniversary year there
still stands the precious altarpiece with a painting by Lucas
Cranach the younger depicting Augustus and his family as
professed Protestants and providing deep insights into the
epoch of the Reformation.
29 APRIL 2017 | RADEBEUL
PREMIERE OF THE PLAY
“IN GOD’S OWN LAND”
Upon the early death of Elector Maurice, his brother and
successor Augustus dissociated himself from Protestants of
other faiths and actually made Lutheranism the state religion. It was not before the 18th century that Saxony became more tolerant in religious questions once more. But
the inglorious tradition continued to have an effect. The
theologian Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg, who was ordained in 1741, was sent to Pennsylvania by the foundation
“Frankesche Stiftungen” to care for three German-speaking
Lutheran parishes. There he became involved in a dispute
with Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, the founder of the
Moravian Church from the Saxon town of Herrnhut, who
wanted to unite all Protestants while allowing them to keep
their individual practices. Mühlenberg on the other hand
founded an institutionalised Lutheran church on the American East Coast and is still known as its patriarch today. Based
on Mühlenberg’s life, the theatre Landesbühnen Sachsen has
created a play that is a product of the close cooperation of
artists, historians, political and church institutions from the
USA and Germany. After some performances at the home
venue in Radebeul the play will be presented in Großenhain, Meissen and Torgau before going on stage in the
USA as well.
4 MAY UNTIL 24 SEPTEMBER 2017 | LEIPZIG
LUTHER – LEIPZIG – LETTERPRESS!
MARTIN LUTHER IN LARGE PRINT.
Without the invention of printing with movable letters,
which was quite new at the time, Luther’s ideas would not
have spread as quickly as they did. Until the end of World
War II Leipzig was considered the center of the German
printing and publishing industry. Just as it had already
played an important role in the production of print products during Luther’s lifetime. On the occasion of the Reformation anniversary, the Leipzig Museum of Printing Arts
visualises this important aspect of Reformation history by
modifying the permanent exhibition and introducing additional activity stations. Yet, it also deals with Luther’s great
influence on the German language and the Luther Rose, his
personal signet and one of the first trademarks.
The Leipzig Disputation
12 MAY UNTIL 5 NOVEMBER 2017 | MEISSEN
A TREASURE NOT MADE OF GOLD. BENNO
OF MEISSEN – SAXONY’S FIRST SAINT.
Many legends tell of the life of St. Benno, who was the bishop
of Meissen from 1066 to 1106. As he is supposed to have
performed miracles, he was already worshipped during the
13th century. But it was the support of Duke George the
Bearded, who had become a fierce opponent of Luther after the Leipzig Disputation, that enabled his canonisation
in 1523. Martin Luther responded quite violently by publishing a polemic paper “Against the new idol and old devil
to be elevated in Meissen”. After the Reformation, Benno’s
remains were transferred first to Stolpen and Wurzen and
eventually to their final resting place at the Church of Our
Lady in Munich. Thus, as if by miracle, a Saxon bishop became the patron saint of the city of Munich and of the state
of Bavaria. For the first time, the exhibition will illustrate the
symbolic role that Bishop Benno of Meissen and his canonisation played, not only during the time of the Reformation.
To this end, numerous artworks will be brought together
and put in dialogue for the first time, among them precious
items on loan like the crosier and mitre of the bishop or the
large-sized altarpiece from the St. Benno Chapel in Rome.
The Great Spiral Staircase at Hartenfels Castle in Torgau
electoral dignity had been transferred to the Albertines, it
still remained of religious and political importance as the
side residence of Reformation. In preparation for the Reformation anniversary the Dresden State Art Collections have
been staging annual special exhibitions at Schloss Hartenfels
Castle since 2012, among them the first national special exhibition “Luther und die Fürsten” (Luther and the Princes)
in 2015. As the last in this series the special exhibition in
the anniversary year deals with Torgau in the role as residence thus summarising all the other special exhibitions.
It displays chosen showpieces from the Dresden Armoury.
Moreover, it addresses Torgau’s role as center of the art of
goldsmithing, e.g. the “Torgauer Apotheke”, an Indian
nacre chest in the setting and décor of a Torgau goldsmith.
21 MAY 2017 | TORGAU
Meissen with castle hill
18 MAY UNTIL 18 JUNE 2017 | DRESDEN
40TH DRESDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
In its 40 years of history, the Dresden Music Festival has become a significant point of attraction for artists and a diverse
audience from all over the world. In its anniversary edition
the festival also focuses on the Reformation. Its highlight is
the presentation of the silent film “Luther – ein Film der
deutschen Reformation” (Luther – a film of German Reformation) with background music by the MDR symphony
orchestra.
19 MAY UNTIL 31 OCTOBER 2017 | TORGAU
TORGAU – RESIDENCE OF RENAISSANCE
AND REFORMATION.
As residence of the Saxon electors from the line of the Ernestines Torgau was the political center of the Reformation. Although the town became less important after the
OPENING OF THE SPALATIN HOUSE
Frederick the Wise allegedly protected Martin Luther merely
for political reasons and is said to never have met him personally. The closest confidant of the ruler was his court chaplain and confessor Georg Spalatin. He acted as mediator between Elector and Reformer thus becoming the “helmsman
of Reformation”. As reward for his services Spalatin received
the house “Im Sack” in Torgau as a gift from Frederick the
Wise. It is the only house of overall 15 priests’ houses that has
been preserved until today. And after extensive reconstruction
works it is now dedicated to the work of Georg Spalatin. Yet
another friend of Luther lived in Torgau: Johann Walter, the
“original cantor of the Protestant Church”. He published the
first Protestant choir hymnbook. Together with the musically
interested and talented Reformer he worked on the “Deutsche
Messe” (German Mass) and other songs. Later he founded today’s Saxon State Orchestra in Dresden on behalf of Elector
Maurice. With exhibits and musical performances his life is
illustrated in the new exhibition as well.
25 UNTIL 28 MAY 2017 | LEIPZIG
PROTESTANT CHURCH CONVENTION
IN LEIPZIG
On the occasion of the Reformation anniversary the German Protestant Church Convention takes place in Berlin,
with a great final service in Wittenberg. Additionally, six
further lay conventions will take place at important Reformation locations. Under the motto “Music. Debate. Life.”
the Protestant Church Convention will be held in Leipzig.
It focuses on the town’s resistant spirit and its rich musical tradition. What started with the Leipzig Debate still resounded in Leipzig’s leading role in vanquishing the GDR
regime. And Leipzig is also the town of Bach who expressed
Luther’s thoughts in texts and music like no other. Approximately 400 events at 100 locations await the visitors. Among
the highlights is a performance under the name “Zum Licht”
(Towards the light) and a concert with 10,000 brass players
at Augustusplatz square.
9 UNTIL 18 JUNE 2017 | LEIPZIG
LEIPZIG BACH FESTIVAL
The great composer Johann Sebastian Bach spent the last
27 years of his life in Leipzig and was buried at his main
place of work, the Thomaskirche church. Under the motto
“Music and Reformation” the Leipzig Bach Festival 2017 is
dedicated to Luther’s chorales that were extensively edited
by Bach. Another focal point will be how Heinrich Schütz,
the “father of German music” who mainly worked in Dresden, and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who rediscovered
Bach’s music, dealt with the Reformer’s legacy.
The Small Zittau Lenten Veil
800 years in the nearby Ostritz and Nikolaus Ludwig von
Zinzendorf, together with Bohemian and Moravian exiled
Protestants, founded the Moravian Church in Herrnhut following the tradition of Jan Hus, Reformation quickly made
its way to Zittau. Today, the closed Franciscan monastery
houses the Historico-Cultural Museum. The monastery
church with its more than 80 epitaphs has been newly refurbished and builds the framework for an exhibition on
the special history of the region in the age of Reformation.
8 SEPTEMBER 2017 UNTIL 28 JANUARY 2018 | LEIPZIG
BACH AND LUTHER.
30 JULY 2017 UNTIL 7 JANUARY 2018 | ZITTAU
The Leipzig Bach Museum is located in the former dwelling
house of Bach’s friend, the rich manufacturer Georg Heinrich Bose, next to the former school Thomasschule where
Bach lived and taught. The special exhibition on the occasion of the Reformation anniversary illustrates the Protestant Thomas cantorate and the importance of Martin Luther’s achievements for the composer. A special role comes
to the original handwritings from the famous year of the
chorale cantatas 1724/25 and a Luther Bible with a handwritten notice of possession by Bach.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH. REFORMATION
IN UPPER LUSATIA.
10 SEPTEMBER 2017 | TORGAU
Bach Festival concert at Augustusplatz square in Leipzig
In the course of time, Lusatia changed its owner several
times. Yet none of these rulers reigned on-site. Thus, the
region always preserved some autonomy and is still characterised by religious diversity today. While Germany’s oldest
Cistercian convent has persisted without interruption for
OPENING OF THE PERMANENT
EXHIBITION AT HARTENFELS CASTLE.
Schloss Hartenfels Castle in Torgau became a magnificent residence under Elector Frederick the Wise and his
successors. The castle church is the first new Protestant
Courtyard of Hartenfels Castle in Torgau
church building and was consecrated by Martin Luther
himself in 1544. The builder was Elector John Frederick
the Magnanimous who also built the famous “Großer
Wendelstein”, the “Great Spiral Staircase” that has just
recently been restored to its old colourful splendour.
He was a nephew of Frederick the Wise and the last Saxon elector from the line of the Ernestines. He ranks as
leading worldly innovator of Luther’s doctrines in his time
and, together with his wife Sibylle von Cleve, is at the
center of focus of the new permanent exhibition in the former electoral chambers, which have recently been restored
to their former glory, and the legendary “Flaschenturm”
tower. The ruling couple embodies the importance of
Torgau as the center of power of the Reformation and as
significant European location of courtly representation.
24 SEPTEMBER UNTIL 30 DECEMBER 2017 | ZWICKAU
SCHUMANN AND LUTHER.
On the occasion of the Reformation anniversary the Robert
Schumann House explores the relation between the Zwickau
composer and the great Reformer. Schumann’s grandfather was a Lutheran priest in Thuringia. In his publishing
house “Gebrüder Schumann” his father August Schumann
published an edition of Martin Luther’s writings as well as
engraved illustrations of reformers. Martin Luther was a
frequent topic of the musical magazine “Neue Zeitschrift
für Musik” that was edited by Robert Schumann. In 1851,
Schumann even attempted to compose an oratorio on the
Reformer as drafts presented in the exhibition will show.
Schumann’s last composition was the transcription of an
obituary chorale by Martin Luther, the original of which
will be shown as well.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Fotos: Auerbachs Keller Leipzig (Foto
AND IMPRINT
Kunstmann), Augustusburg/Scharfenstein/
Publisher:
Saxony Tourism
(Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony)
Bautzner Strasse 45-47
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MOTHERLAND OF THE REFORMATION.
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01099 Dresden
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