Reformation anniversary 2017

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The thesis door of the castle church in Wittenberg

With the Reformation anniversary in 2017 , the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation was celebrated in 2016/2017 . The anniversary was the high point of the Luther / Reformation decade worldwide . Well over a thousand events, conferences and exhibitions took place over the entire period.

organization

Due to the outstanding importance of the anniversary beyond theological aspects, the federal and state governments created the state office "Luther 2017". The institution, based in Lutherstadt Wittenberg , was a central player nationwide in the coordination and networking of partners for the Luther Decade and the Reformation anniversary in 2017. One of the central tasks of the state office was to bring non-church actors such as cultural workers, municipalities, museums and federal states into the To include the anniversary and thus to show the important dimension of the event outside of church structures.

At the same time, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) set up the “Luther 2017 - 500 Years Reformation” office in Wittenberg. It was the point of contact for church actors, whether corporations, parishes or individuals. The two offices worked closely together. The license for the logo "Luther 2017 - 500 Years of the Reformation" was jointly awarded by the offices and was available free of charge to those involved in the anniversary of the Reformation.

To carry out major church projects, the German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) founded the Reformation Jubilee 2017 e. V. based in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. The founding meeting was on October 2, 2012. The association was responsible for the implementation of the festival weekend on the Elbwiesen in front of Wittenberg for the 36th German Evangelical Church Congress with the festive church service and the public festival on May 28, 2017. The association also had organizational responsibility for the European Stations path, the “Church Days on the Way”, which took place between May 25 and 27, 2017 in Leipzig, Magdeburg, Erfurt, Jena / Weimar, Dessau-Roßlau and Halle / Eisleben. With the exhibition “Gates of Freedom - World Exhibition of the Reformation”, originally projected as “EXPO 2017 of Protestantism”, which was developed in the EKD and took place in Wittenberg from May 20 to September 10, 2017, the Reformation anniversary 2017 e. V. as well as with the organization of the accompanying camps for confirmands and young people. With this cooperation between the German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the constituted church and the Kirchentag movement broke new ground.

A management committee was appointed for the substantive cooperation between DEKT and EKD, chaired initially by Reinhard Höppner and later by Gerhard Robbers . Numerous project leaders were appointed. Margot Käßmann took over the project management for the “Gates of Freedom - World Exhibition of the Reformation” .

The EKD also appointed its former council chairwoman Margot Käßmann as ambassador of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) for the Reformation anniversary in 2017 .

In the run-up to the anniversary of the Reformation, the German National Tourist Board concentrated its activities on marketing the event in cooperation with the “Luther 2017” campaign. The first planning for this began in 2012. The campaign focused on two different target groups from all over the world, on the one hand those who were interested in culture and on the other hand church communities and religiously motivated tourists, especially from the “classic communities of the Reformation”, i. H. the 426 million people worldwide and thus 5.8 percent of the world's population whose beliefs are in the tradition of the Reformation. From 2012 onwards, the GNTB ensured that the topic of Luther was present on tourism exchanges and in the media around the world. The German tourism industry hopes that Luther Year 2017 will strengthen Germany's global market position as a cultural travel destination.

Effects and events

International

Under the title “Here I Stand…” , three exhibitions on the life and work of Martin Luther took place in the cities of Minneapolis , New York City and Atlanta within the Luther Decade .

National holiday

On the occasion of the Reformation anniversary, Reformation Day on October 31, 2017 was a national public holiday in Germany . To this end, all federal states in which Reformation Day is normally not a public holiday had passed laws and ordinances that made October 31 a public holiday.

The Federal Association of German Employers' Associations (BDA) protested against the measure, which was still in the discussion phase in 2014 , pointing out that a "generally non-working holiday [...] would burden companies with costs, without contributing to a lasting discussion about the importance to contribute to the Reformation ”.

As a result of the Reformation anniversary, Reformation Day became a public holiday in other federal states as early as 2018: Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Bremen.

Revision of the Luther Bible

The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) took the anniversary as an opportunity to revise the Luther Bible it published . This was published under the catchphrase Luther Bible 2017 on October 19, 2016 by the German Bible Society and was officially handed over to the congregations on October 30, 2016 during a festive service in Eisenach's Georgenkirche . The EKD Council had entrusted Christoph Kähler (New Testament scholar in Leipzig from 1981–2001, regional bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia and the Evangelical Church in Central Germany) with the management of the steering committee for the revision of the Luther Bible . In various articles and lectures, he investigated the question of whether a revision of the Bible, the wording of which goes back to Martin Luther , is not a contradiction in terms . But he showed what a new edition of the translation can mean, which for centuries has shaped the church and culture not only in Germany, but in large parts of Europe. He mentioned u. a. the reasons for a new revision, described the revision procedure and exemplified the results of the 2017 revision.

European station route

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Reformation, the European Station Trail was opened in Geneva on November 3, 2016 . It symbolically linked central locations of the Reformation in 18 European countries and thus illustrated the global dimension of the Reformation. A “Reformation truck” toured the cities one after the other, starting on November 3rd in Calvinist Geneva and ending on May 20, 2017 in Lutheran Wittenberg, symbolically connecting them. The choice of the starting point and the destination signaled the togetherness of the Reformed and Lutheran branches of Protestantism.

free TONES. Songbook for the Reformation Summer 2017

On the occasion of the celebration of the anniversary of the Reformation, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Evangelical Kirchentag 2017 formed a cooperation to compile songs from five centuries in the songbook frei TÖNE. frei TÖNE contains songs from the pen of Martin Luther , from the Evangelical Hymnbook and from Kirchentag songbooks . More than 40 songs are new, specially written and composed for the Reformation summer and the Kirchentag Berlin-Wittenberg. The editors attached great importance to the fact that many songs were printed with several voices and that many multilingual songs from international ecumenism were included. The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover in November 2018, the freely introduced TONES as Supplement to the Protestant hymn book in their communities.

German Evangelical Church Congress

The 36th German Evangelical Church Congress took place in Wittenberg and Berlin from May 24th to 28th, 2017 . In addition, six “Church Days on the Way” took place in central Germany. So the participants should be shown authentic places of the Reformation. The “Church Days on the Way” took place in Magdeburg , Halle / Eisleben , Jena / Weimar , Erfurt , Leipzig and Dessau-Roßlau . The festival service of the Kirchentag took place on the Elbe meadows in Wittenberg.

Festival weekend on the Elbe meadows in Wittenberg

The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) agreed in August 2012 to carry out a “major service” in Wittenberg on the occasion of the Reformation anniversary in 2017. The German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) was responsible for the implementation. The organization was dedicated to the Reformation Jubilee 2017 e. V. transferred. The slogan “Can we have a happy holiday in May too?” Was chosen for the advertising.

In the initial planning, those responsible assumed around 200,000 to 300,000 participants. A meadow on the L131 east of the Pratau district of Wittenberg was initially in view as a suitable site. The concrete planning for the service then concentrated on a former airfield located on the Elbe dike, which is in the immediate vicinity of the former bridgehead barracks, which is now a hotel. Although the site was flooded by the Elbe during a flood of the century in June 2013, the idea of ​​moving the service to Berlin was rejected. In order to open up the site for a major event, extensive paths had to be paved and construction, safety and environmental requirements had to be met. A specially built pontoon bridge shortened the footpath from downtown Wittenberg and from the old town train station. Pioneers from the barracks in Havelberg and the technical relief organization built the temporary bridge.

The concept agreed between the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) provided that the major divine service would conclude the 36th German Evangelical Church Congress in Berlin / Wittenberg and with the events in other events that took place in the course of the year Should be carried out in Wittenberg in 2017. In the course of the specific preparations, the Kirchentag adapted the concept of the “large church service” to the motto of the German Evangelical Church Congress, “You see me” and involved the local partners in the further preparations. The title was “Festival Weekend”, which embedded the actual service in a series of preparatory events that began on May 27, 2017, and in an afternoon program.

On the evening of May 27, 2017, an ecumenical prayer with chants from Taizé was held. Brothers of the Taizé Community and sisters of the Community of St. Andrew came for this “Night of Lights” . The local churches took on parts of the content. Brother Alois, Prior of the Taizé Community and Regional Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm , Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), chaired the prayer. All participants were able to spend the night on May 28, 2017 on the premises and celebrate the service on May 28, 2017 without having to return.

The Protestant festival service took place on May 28, 2017 under the title “Festival service - face to face (1. Corinthians 13)”. Kirchentag pastor Arnd Schomerus led the service. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba delivered the sermon. About 2400 clergy from all denominations of Protestantism took part in the evangelical celebration of the Lord's Supper. Ralf Grössler from Dötlingen had overall responsibility for the music during the service. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended the ceremony and spoke a greeting after the Christian celebration. Numerous prominent representatives of state, social and religious institutions and organizations were among the participants.

After the service, a community festival with a picnic and a large concert took place at the same location. Konstantin Wecker was one of the artists who took part in the concert on stage. May 28, 2017 was characterized by unusually high temperatures and persistent sunshine.

A few days after the “festival weekend”, the Reformationsjubiläum 2017 e. V. announced the number of participants.

National special exhibitions

Three large, complementary special exhibitions were shown in Berlin, Wittenberg and at the Wartburg in Eisenach . The exhibition “The Luther Effect” at the German Historical Museum in Berlin dealt with the worldwide effects of the Reformation up to the present day. At the Wartburg, the show "Luther and the Germans" showed the image of Luther that the various epochs made for themselves. The third exhibition “Luther! 95 Treasures - 95 People ”was intended to bring Martin Luther closer to the people of the Augusteum in Wittenberg. In its second part, 95 people connected to Luther were introduced.

Other special exhibitions

Traveling exhibitions on Luther's relationship to Jews and Judaism

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Reformation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (Northern Church) developed the traveling exhibition “We Can't Endure It” - Martin Luther and the Jews , which addresses Martin Luther's relationship to Jews and Judaism . The exhibition was shown in Hamburg for the first time at the end of 2013 and has been available for loan from the North Church as well as five other Protestant regional churches in Germany since the beginning of 2014 . It has since been shown in numerous locations in Germany and was also shown in Denmark in 2017 .

The Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) has created a touring exhibition on the same topic for the same reason, which is entitled Martin Luther and Judaism - Review and Awakening . The exhibition, co-financed by the EKD, was developed by a joint working group of the EKBO and the Jewish Touro College Berlin and presented for the first time in autumn 2015 in the Sophienkirche in Berlin . Since then it has been shown in various locations in Germany. Jewish and Christian perspectives are presented on the exhibition panels.

At its 2nd meeting (November 8-11, 2015) in Bremen, the 12th Synod of the EKD adopted the fundamental rally “Martin Luther and the Jews. Necessary reminder for the anniversary of the Reformation ”.

EKD proposes an ecumenical festival of Christ

Centenary celebrations on Reformation Day have so far been an occasion to delimit the denominations from one another. This was to change for the first time in 2017, 500 years after Martin Luther's theses were posted in Wittenberg, following the will of the two large Christian churches in Germany.

The EKD Council Chairman Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and the Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, recorded this in an official correspondence in May / June 2015. The EKD council chairman wrote there: “Not only through the epochal impulses of Vatican II, which opened the ecumenical dialogue situation between our churches from scratch, but also through the theologically exact effort to reach an understanding, an ecumenical trust has grown between our churches, the areas of one allow common shaping of memory; The EKD is very grateful for that. ”This is the foundation on which the ecumenical perspectives for 2017 stand:“ The Reformation anniversary 2017 is essentially a festival of Christ, which aims to convey the message of God's free grace to all people. ”

In his reply, Cardinal Marx appreciates the invitation from the EKD as “an expression of reliable relationships. It shows that the EKD does not want to celebrate its Reformation anniversary without involving its ecumenical partners. ”Through the ecumenical dialogue in the past decades it has become clear“ that we believe in Jesus Christ, reading the Holy Scriptures and the sacramental bond of baptism deeply connect with each other, ”said Cardinal Marx.

The two large churches have a shared responsibility “that the rapprochement that has been achieved between our churches is not endangered by the remembrance of the Reformation, and even more so that we let our unity become visible in faith and express it in a way that which strengthens Christians in their faith and which allows people who are far from our churches to experience us as brothers and sisters in faith. Our common witness for Jesus Christ is particularly urgent today in our society and when many contemporaries are looking for support and orientation. "

In the letter from the chairman of the council, the EKD confirmed its invitation to the German Bishops' Conference to use the memory of the posting of the theses as an opportunity to celebrate a feast of Christ together.

Ecumenical pilgrimage to the Holy Land

From October 16-22, 2016, members of the German Bishops' Conference and the EKD Council undertook an ecumenical pilgrimage to the Holy Land to the common sources of faith. Shortly before the beginning of the Reformation anniversary, this should be a decidedly ecumenical prelude.

Reconciliation service

On March 11, 2017, the Catholic German Bishops' Conference and the Evangelical Church in Germany organized an ecumenical penance and reconciliation service in the Michaeliskirche in Hildesheim . The wounds hit in past centuries should be named and God's forgiveness should be asked. The first broadcast the service live.

World Reformation Exhibition "Gates of Freedom"

The Reformation World Exhibition "Gates of Freedom" was an open-air exhibition that transformed Lutherstadt Wittenberg into a world of experience during the Reformation summer from May 20 to September 10, 2017.

The Reformation World Exhibition was organized by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) for the Reformationsjubiläum 2017 e. V. transferred. The management of the Reformation Anniversary 2017 e. V. shared the long-time managing directors of the German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) Hartwig Bodmann and Ulrich Schneider (politician) . They set up the office in the former building of the Melanchthon high school in Wittenberg. At times the office had up to 200 employees. The world exhibition was opened in the presence of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The head of the project was Margot Käßmann. She gave the opening sermon.

The exhibition grounds ran through the ramparts around the old town. Around 80 organizations, associations and churches presented themselves in many places in the city. The organizers tried to interest the guests of the city of Wittenberg in topics of the Reformation. Topics were bundled compactly in seven so-called gate areas. The gate areas were designed by students from German-speaking universities. In gate area 1, the "largest Bible in the world" was placed. The full text of the Luther Bible was printed on a large plastic sheet: This installation made of scaffolding elements also served as a lookout tower. In gate area 2, the reflections and light effects that long mirror paths created were supposed to remind of spiritual experiences and create new perspectives. Christian devotions took place here every day. Wooden posts, which could be gradually painted, introduced subject area 3: This was about orientation. The young people had an area for creative projects. In the course of the summer, the “swan pond” in the ramparts in gate area 4 was occupied by braided messengers. These symbolically indicated boats are a reminder of the refugees who come to Europe via the Mediterranean. Over the summer, the materials used in these boats were transformed into works of art. In this area, the topics from the area of ​​the conciliar process were taken up and texts from its final document were quoted. Glazed delivery van trailers served in gate area 5 as mobile “glass palaces” in which the effects of globalization could be exhibited. Gate area 6 culture led to the exhibition "Luther and the avant-garde". In the cells of the former Wittenberg prison, artists addressed the issue of freedom. In the clouds of light that floated over the gate area 7, which was dedicated to the topics of ecumenism and religions, the guests could put in their wishes written down on foils on the holidays of the world religions.

The exhibition was shaped by the giant wheel of the pastoral services of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). One of the lavish contributions from the German Protestant regional churches was the Ev.-Luth “Baptism experience”. Regional church of Hanover, the installation “Württemberg in Wittenberg”, the light church of the Evangelical Church in Hessen-Nassau with a “blessing robot” that contrasted the topic of artificial intelligence and belief in creation. The “Bavarian Garden”, for which the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church in Bavaria was responsible, showed an extra-long wooden installation from 2017 as “the longest nativity scene in the world”. The Swiss pavilion “Prophezey” was the only non-German presence that could be seen in Wittenberg during the entire duration of the exhibition. A new Zurich Bible was printed on a specially recreated historical printing press. The visitors were able to produce individual pages themselves and take them with them as souvenirs. The participation of the Lutheran churches from all over the world was ensured by a "sky tent" in the Luther Garden. The member churches of the Lutheran World Federation provided programs on a weekly basis. The Community of Evangelical Churches in Europe (CPCE) changed the program every week. German language congregations abroad and the ecumenical partners of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) were represented at the “Gasthaus Ökumene” on a weekly basis. Protestant schools had founded the worldwide network "schools500reformation" under the leadership of the education department of the EKD and invited 500 students from all continents to a "Global schools500reformation Day". In the area around the church of the Catholic parish of Sankt Marien Wittenberg, the dioceses of the Catholic German Bishops' Conference were responsible for the “Catholic in Lutherstadt” program.

In addition to the presences of the individual churches and church organizations, themed weeks were offered. Well-known speakers have been won for the “Ecumenical” theme week and the “Religions” theme week. Cardinal Walter Kasper paid tribute to Martin Luther. The reformer has rediscovered the “glowing core of the gospel”. The year of the Reformation "has become a Kairos" unplanned. Rabbi Walter Homolka preached on the occasion of a "Kabbalat Shabbat celebration with candlelight", which took place in Wittenberg for the first time in over 70 years. In addition to Cardinal Walter Kasper and Rabbi Walter Homolka, the chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Aiman ​​Mazyek , the director of the Amity Foundation, Qiu Zhonghui, Sabine Bobert and many other personalities in public life were committed to the issues of ecumenism and the dialogue of world religions . The program of the theme weeks was reduced due to the lack of interest from the visitors during the world exhibition.

The exhibition days were opened and closed with daily Christian prayers in the “Spirituality” gate area and on the market square in Wittenberg.

The evening stage program, for which a large stage with an event area was specially built on the castle wall, was very popular. Max Giesinger, Culcha Candela, the Creative Church Witten with the Pop-Oratorium-Luther and many other cultural workers from Germany performed here.

For the time of the world exhibition, a tent camp was set up for the youth outside the city center. Around 20,000 young people took part in camps for confirmands and attended summer camps of church-related youth associations. In the city, the Working Group Evangelical Youth (AEJ) had built a "climbing cathedral" and thus provided another offer for the youth. A summer school of the Evangelisches Studienwerk e. V. was under the motto “It's enough. As far as I am concerned".

The closing service of the world exhibition was broadcast live as a TV service on ZDF on September 10, 2017. Margot Käßmann gave the closing sermon.

However, the cultural program of the “Gates of Freedom - World Exhibition of the Reformation” did not end with the conclusion of the World Exhibition. The exhibition "Luther and the Avant-garde" did not close until November 1, 2017 and the panorama picture Wittenberg360 remains open.

After the end of the world exhibition, the mirror paths were given to Lutherstadt Wittenberg as a gift from the churches. The building was not finished in 2017, but it was continued after the Reformation anniversary. The Church @ night event will also continue. The area for the youth tent camp is also reserved for further activities. Other exhibits, such as B. the installation of the working group of Protestant youth in Germany have been rebuilt in other places. The new Zurich Bible, which was printed in the Swiss pavilion, was given to the city of Wittenberg. The plastic film on the Bibelturm was converted into shoulder bags and sold by the German Bible Society (DBG).

The efforts for the world exhibition have been critically appreciated. The individual participants reacted to the lack of interest and adapted their program to the taste of the audience. For example, the ride on the Ferris wheel, which was initially paid for, was offered free of charge from June 2017 and the entrance fee for the exhibition itself was reduced. At the beginning of July 2017, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported the anniversary year: "Luther is the bust of the year". As of September 2017, the figures that the management of the Reformationsjubiläum 2017 e. V. named available for an evaluation. The President of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Irmgard Schwaetzer, was satisfied with the proceeds from the World Exhibition and the Reformation Anniversary 2017 during the Synod Conference in November 2017. From the point of view of the observers ("Scouts") appointed by the Synod's Presidium, the year was "a Jubilee of faith, a participation, ecumenical and cultural anniversary ”. The chairman of the EKD Council, Regional Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, pointed out in his oral council report before the synod that there was “cause for great gratitude”. The youth camp in Wittenberg belongs z. B. "To the success stories of the anniversary year". 20,000 young people took part in the youth camp in Wittenberg. He was able to visit the camp several times and drove away inspired every time. Christoph Markschies had already warned in October 2017 against drawing premature conclusions from the 2017 Reformation anniversary. One needs time to evaluate what has been experienced in the deeper effects. He praised the activities in Wittenberg and gave the “practical” advice, “The next time you want to hold a large exhibition in these ramparts, you should put up conspicuous signs at the train station so that visitors can find the venue at all and not just up the main street and go back down ".

Christ festival service

On September 14, 2017, the Evangelical Church in Germany invited to a special service as part of the Reformation anniversary 2017: In the Constantine Basilica in Trier, the Evangelical Church of the Redeemer, a Christ Feast service was held at 6 p.m. The sermon was delivered by Regional Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Chairman of the EKD Council (Munich), the liturgical service was organized by Metropolitan Augoustinos, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Germany (Bonn), Bishop Gerhard Feige , Bishop of Magdeburg and Chairman of the Ecumenical Commission, among others of the German Bishops' Conference (Magdeburg), Bishop Stephan Ackermann (Trier), Vice President of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, Christoph Pistorius (Düsseldorf), Elisabeth Dieckmann (Frankfurt / Main), Managing Director of the Working Group of Christian Churches in Germany V., as well as Jörg Weber , Superintendent of the Evangelical Church District Trier.

The date of September 14th followed the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, which is celebrated in Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches around the world. The service focused on Christ crucified. "Christ Jesus humbled himself and was obedient to death, yes to death on the cross." This central verse from Philippians was at the center. Musically, this was accompanied by the premiere of the Kenosis composition by Uwe Steinmetz (Berlin) to texts by Hartmut Handt (Cologne).

Ecumenical festival "As in heaven so on earth"

The ecumenical festival “As in heaven so on earth” on September 16, 2017 in Bochum should set a sign of solidarity among Christians and underline the shared responsibility of all Christians for society. The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the German Bishops' Conference (DBK), the German Evangelical Church Congress (DEKT) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) held joint invitations.

The President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert started with a lecture on being a Christian in public space and then took part in a panel discussion on the topic.

Another highlight of the event was an ecumenical open-air church service in front of the German Mining Museum. The chairman of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, and the chairman of the Catholic German Bishops' Conference, Reinhard Marx, gave a dialogue sermon in front of the winding tower, which reminded of the importance of coal and steel in the Ruhr area. There, too, the topic was the mission of Christians in the world.

Establishing an ecumenical culture of remembrance

Two years after the Reformation anniversary in 2017, Verena Hammes' dissertation dealt with the events of this year from a Catholic perspective. With its rich information material, this publication serves as a source of documentation for ecumenical activities at the German level and examines them using the parameters of the culture of memory. The study examines the question of whether, in view of the growing ecumenical understanding in Germany in the 500th year of remembrance of the Reformation, it has succeeded in breaking confessional and conflicting memory traditions and thus contributing to the establishment of an ecumenical culture of remembrance with regard to the Reformation memory.

Events on October 31, 2017 in Wittenberg

On Reformation Day 2017 itself, several festive services were celebrated in Wittenberg in the morning. The highlights of this day were certainly the festive church service in the castle church in the afternoon and the state ceremony in the Wittenberg town hall in the evening.

Celebrations on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation 2017 in European cities

A large number of Protestant churches in Europe celebrated the anniversary of the Reformation in many different ways in many places across the entire continent.

Reactions

Criticism of the Reformation anniversary was voiced from several sides. The following points of criticism were mentioned:

The Dutchman Harmjan Dam, painter and Protestant theologian, sees the creation of a “Luther icon ” on which Martin Luther, provided with a halo , in the style of the Orthodox, as an “ecumenical contribution to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation” Kirchen holds an open Bible in his hand that reads: " Solus Christ / Sola Scriptura ". According to Dams, "the evangelical personality cult around Luther, especially at the coming Reformation anniversary in 2017, can hardly be distinguished from the veneration of saints ", which is why he has the halo around the person depicted take a back seat to the usual icons and instead draws a halo around the holy scriptures shown: "The real sacred here is the Holy Scriptures!"

The left-wing member of the Bundestag , Luc Jochimsen , criticized a one-sided fixation on Martin Luther, pointing out that other reformers and the role of the population were not adequately appreciated. The church historian Thomas Kaufmann stated in the Tagesspiegel that Luther had already done too little to counter his heroism during his lifetime.

The Tübingen church historian Volker Leppin , on the other hand, praised the ecumenical orientation and theological focus of the Reformation anniversary. "The EKD made a precision landing for 2017," he told the Evangelical Press Service . The danger that the anniversary, unlike earlier anniversary celebrations, would have promoted German national or Protestant-demarcating attitudes had been averted.

During that time , Klaus Holz realized at the end of 2016 that the Reformation anniversary was already bearing fruit at this point in time. “Perhaps never before has Protestant anti-Semitism been spoken, researched and written on such a high level as it is today. So far, it has mainly been about contributions by theologians, some of which have been developed as scientific publications and others as pronouncements from high-ranking church bodies, ”wrote Holz. In 2015 the EKD distanced itself from the anti-Jewish statements made by Luther and other reformers.

There are also voices who rate the anniversary of the Reformation primarily under the aspect of economic usefulness, especially as an impetus for the marketing of cultural tourism . So explains z. B. the Thuringian state government that it supports the Reformation anniversary as a cultural, not a religious event. In addition to promoting tourism, the state is concerned with making the cultural legacy of the Reformation clear, but not with “using taxpayers' money to bring new members to the church”. For the developers of the European Cultural Route of the Reformation , which is to be certified as a cultural route by the Council of Europe in 2019 , the anniversary is an impetus for the “ valorisation of the Reformation-specific cultural heritage ”.

“What is happening now in terms of marketing is, from my point of view, banal, pathetic, silly,” says church historian Thomas Kaufmann . For the Chairman of the Council of the EKD, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm , the anniversary of the Reformation is "not first about Luther Playmobil figures, about Luther socks and Reformation sweets". But these are an introduction to dealing with the anniversary.

Margot Käßmann concludes that the anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 made the “learning history of the Reformation” visible. Six points are exemplary: 1. The Reformation has become a world citizen. 2017 was celebrated in Africa, Asia, Latin and North America and representatives from churches from all over the world were present in Wittenberg. The nationalist thinking that was evident on earlier Reformation anniversaries has been overcome. 2. Today ecumenism is of course a lived reality in the churches of the Reformation. That doesn't mean that differences are blurred. But there is an understanding of “brothers and sisters in faith” in a living variety of churches. 3. There is a learning history of the Reformation with a view to the dialogue between religions. Martin Luther's anti-Judaism is unbearable! The Protestant Church knows about its guilt in the time of National Socialism, when it did not protect the persecuted of the Jewish faith! - The dialogue with Muslims is just beginning. Without talking to one another, there is still a risk that religions will promote discord. 4. Religion and education are not mutually exclusive. This is a hot topic at a time when fundamentalism is growing again. 5. Women naturally have a share in all offices of the Reformation churches. 6. The life of Christians proves itself in everyday life in the world. Faith does not take place on the sidelines, in a private niche, but gives us an attitude in the conflicts of our time. That is also very topical.

A similar "résumé" provide the "reality" of the two branches (s o Section.. Organization ): 1. The Reformation anniversary in 2017 was an "event of world renown" (German Bundestag, 2011) for the first time in history the state as church internationally oriented . 2. The anniversary was celebrated in Germany for the first time in a democratic society . The Reformation was shown as a common source of western values ​​and the dark side of Martin Luther and the Reformation were openly debated. 3. The scientific development of the Reformation was particularly successful in historical research, which not only produced outstanding individual studies, but can also point to rich results in popular science. 4. However, an anniversary cannot be celebrated without an effective staging of current relevance, at least not if one wants to reach a broad public. 5. Some communication ideas in the Reformation anniversary were no longer “within shouting distance” of the Reformation content. The large number of intensified content in the form of key words or key statements made it difficult for outsiders to understand the central memory impulse. 6. The Reformation anniversary in 2017 turned out to be a broad-based cultural year thanks to generous, often initiatory funding from the federal government, the federal states and local authorities, but also from the Evangelical Church in Germany and the regional churches. 7. The classic format of the exhibition (see above) proved to be a central medium of the culture of remembrance at the Reformation anniversary. 8. Central projects and initiatives for the anniversary of the Reformation turned out to be an important (mental and communicative) prerequisite for the strong regional commitment and the intensive decentralized participation . 9. In addition to the state and the church, civil society with its wide range of approaches proved to be an indispensable partner of the anniversary. 10. The anniversary of the Reformation became a denominational, ecumenical commemoration of the original religious intention of the Reformation.

Web links

Commons : Reformation anniversary 2017  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. German Bundestag : Printed matter 17/6465. July 6, 2011.
  2. Central editorial office of the Evangelical Press Service (epd): State and Church work together - many organizers for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. (No longer available online.) In: epd.de. Joint work of Protestant journalism , May 9, 2016, formerly in the original ; accessed on February 14, 2017 (no mementos ).  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.epd.de
  3. umbrella brand - terms of use, concept and download. (No longer available online.) In: luther2017.de. State office “Luther 2017”; "Luther 2017 - 500 Years of Reformation", archived from the original on February 24, 2017 ; accessed on February 22, 2017 .
  4. European station route. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .
  5. ^ Church days on the way. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .
  6. Reformation anniversary: ​​the planned celebrations. In: evangelisch.de. Retrieved May 24, 2018 .
  7. a b World Exhibition. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .
  8. 1949–2012 Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag: German Evangelical Kirchentag: May 27: Protestantism bundles forces for the anniversary of the Reformation For the first time, a joint steering committee of EKD and Kirchentag meets. (No longer available online.) In: kirchentag.de. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018 ; accessed on May 23, 2018 .
  9. EKD - Church Office: Communication: Ambassador for the Reformation anniversary in 2017. In: ekd.de. October 31, 2016, accessed November 1, 2016 .
  10. Tourism Committee of the German Bundestag : The tourism industry relies on Luther. In: bundestag.de, January 19, 2017, accessed on November 3, 2017.
  11. (From dpa): Reformation Day - 2017 one-time national holiday? In: Stuttgarter Zeitung . October 29, 2013, accessed October 30, 2017.
  12. ^ Evangelical Church in Germany: Nationwide public holiday for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is approaching. In: ekd.de. October 31, 2014, accessed August 25, 2018.
  13. Reformation Day: Schleswig-Holstein declares October 31 a public holiday . In: ZEIT ONLINE . ( zeit.de [accessed on May 10, 2018]).
  14. ^ Reformation Day: Hamburg gets a new public holiday . In: ZEIT ONLINE . ( zeit.de [accessed on May 10, 2018]).
  15. Resolved: Reformation Day becomes a new holiday. In: ndr.de. NDR, June 18, 2018, accessed June 23, 2018 .
  16. Frank Hethey: Reformation Day is holiday in Bremen . In: Weserkurier . June 20, 2018 ( weser-kurier.de [accessed June 29, 2018]).
  17. ↑ Decision to review the Luther Bible. Press release of the German Bible Society. In: dbg.de. July 20, 2010, accessed November 27, 2018.
  18. ^ Revised Luther Bible handed over to congregations. (No longer available online.) In: mdr.de. MDR Thuringia , October 30, 2016, archived from the original on October 30, 2016 ; accessed on October 30, 2016 .
  19. See e.g. B. Christoph Kähler : A revised Luther Bible for the anniversary of the Reformation. Faithfulness to the biblical text. In: Deutsches Pfarrerblatt . Issue 1/2016.
  20. Stories on Travel - Route of the European Station Path presented. In: Luther2017.de. September 17, 2015, accessed July 1, 2017.
  21. ↑ The European station route starts in Geneva ( Memento from November 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: r2017.org. November 3, 2016, accessed November 10, 2016.
  22. free TONES. Songbook for the Reformation Summer 2017. Published by the 36th German Evangelical Church Congress Berlin 2017 e. V., reformation2017 e. V., Evangelical Church in Germany. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel [2017], 283 pages.
  23. Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Hanover - The Regional Church Office: Communication G23 / 2018 of November 20, 2018 .
  24. ^ Activity report of the Regional Synodal Committee for the XII. Conference of the 25th regional synod . II. Financial issues. In: Documents of the 25th Regional Synod . 3 L. Hildesheim May 9, 2019, p. 5 , item 11. Reprint of the songbook “ frei Töne” and the wind instrument book ( landeskirche-hannovers.de [PDF; 3.9 MB ; retrieved on July 5, 2019]): “The Hanoverian regional church has declared the songbook“ frei Töne ”to be the official supplement to the Protestant hymnbook for the next ten years. [... (it should) ...] a slightly corrected reprint should be approached. "
  25. (from dpa): One large and six small church days. In: morgenpost.de. Berliner Morgenpost , February 4, 2017, accessed on February 15, 2017 .
  26. ^ THW and Bundeswehr build Elbe crossing near Wittenberg . In: THW OV Quedlinburg . ( thw-quedlinburg.de [accessed on May 28, 2018]).
  27. Sisters of Saint Andrew - Ignatian Apostolic Sisters' Community - home page. In: saint-andre.be. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  28. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba's sermon for the closing service at the 2017 Kirchentag (English). In: evangelisch.de. Joint work of Protestant journalism (GEP), May 28, 2017, accessed on June 7, 2018 .
  29. Wittenberg: Kirchentag ends with an open-air festival service . In: ZEIT ONLINE . ( zeit.de [accessed June 7, 2018]).
  30. Kirchentag: Wittenberg, 11.02 a.m .: How did it become 120,000? In: ZEIT ONLINE . ( zeit.de [accessed June 7, 2018]).
  31. (epd): Luther from three perspectives. In: evangelisch.de. Joint work of Protestant journalism (GEP), August 16, 2016, accessed on February 15, 2017 .
  32. ^ Special exhibition: Luther, Columbus and the Consequences. Changing world. 1500-1600. Germanisches Nationalmuseum, accessed on October 30, 2017 .
  33. Luther in the sights of the pictures: Institute for Church Contemporary History. Retrieved March 14, 2018 .
  34. Reformation and Rothenburg: With the sword or firm belief - Luther and the witches. (No longer available online.) In: rothenburg.de. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017 ; accessed on October 30, 2017 .
  35. ^ Reformation and freedom: Luther and the consequences for Prussia and Brandenburg. September 8, 2017 to January 21, 2018. House of Brandenburg-Prussian History, accessed on October 30, 2017 .
  36. Dreiländermuseum Lörrach | Reformations. The great change 500 years ago on the Upper Rhine. Retrieved November 3, 2017 .
  37. badische-zeitung.de : Luther was not alone on the Upper Rhine - Lörrach - Badische Zeitung . ( badische-zeitung.de [accessed on November 3, 2017]).
  38. Bavarian State Exhibition 2017 - "Knights, Farmers, Lutherans". Coburg.de, accessed on October 30, 2017 .
  39. From Cranach to the BILD newspaper (mobile Luther exhibition). Institute for Church History. Retrieved March 14, 2018 .
  40. To the exhibition “We Can't Endure It”. In: nordkirche-weltweit.de. Center for Mission and Ecumenism - Northern Churches Worldwide , accessed October 20, 2017.
  41. Ursula Rudnick: Martin Luther and the Jews. In: kirchliche-dienste.de. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover , accessed on October 20, 2017.
  42. ↑ Traveling exhibition Luther and Judaism. In: formation.ekbo.de. Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO), accessed on October 20, 2017.
  43. Text on p. 47: Das Magazin. (PDF; 13.6 MB) In: gott-neu-vertrauen.de. Retrieved May 11, 2018 .
  44. The letters can be found under: Correspondence Cardinal Marx - Regional Bishop Bedform-Strohm. In: ekd.de. Retrieved May 12, 2018 .
  45. Ecumenical pilgrimage of the DBK and EKD to the Holy Land: Towards one another. In: herder-korrespondenz.de. Verlag Herder GmbH, accessed on May 12, 2018 .
  46. Ecumenism wants to set signs of reconciliation. (No longer available online.) In: ndr.de. Norddeutscher Rundfunk , March 17, 2017, archived from the original on February 7, 2017 ; accessed on February 15, 2017 .
  47. See Gundlach: Das Magazin | gott-neu-vertrauen.de. (PDF; 13.6 MB) In: gott-neu-vertrauen.de. P. 75 , accessed on May 11, 2018 .
  48. 1949–2012 German Evangelical Church Congress: German Evangelical Church Congress: June 1: Hartwig Bodmann stops. (No longer available online.) In: kirchentag.de. June 1, 2013, archived from the original on May 26, 2018 ; accessed on May 25, 2018 .
  49. Winner honored in the competition for the Reformation World Exhibition: Luther2017. In: luther2017.de. December 2, 2015, accessed on May 25, 2018 (epd / r2017).
  50. Welcome goal area. Right in the middle there instead of just. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  51. The world's largest Bible welcomes everyone. (No longer available online.) In: die-bibel.de. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018 ; accessed on May 25, 2018 .
  52. Jump up ↑ Spirituality Gate Room. Beyond 2017. In: r2017.org. Reformation anniversary 2017 e. V., accessed on May 25, 2018 .
  53. ↑ Goal area 3 youth. Are you doing? Hidden diversity. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  54. ↑ Gate room 4 Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation. When justice and peace meet. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  55. ^ Final document of the conciliar process. (PDF; 138 kB) In: unifr.ch. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  56. ↑ Goal area 5 globalization | One World. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  57. r2017.org. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  58. ^ Luther and the avant-garde. In: luther-avantgarde.de. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  59. r2017.org. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  60. Irina Steinmann: Showman and World's Fair: So Close to Heaven in the Ferris Wheel . In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung . May 22, 2017 ( mz-web.de [accessed May 25, 2018]).
  61. Baptism experience space at the Reformation World Exhibition 2017. Accessed on May 25, 2018 .
  62. ^ Württemberg in Wittenberg | Evangelisches Medienhaus GmbH. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  63. History of the Church of Light. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  64. ^ Projects of the EKHN - Reformation. In: gott-neu-enthaben.ekhn.de. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  65. ^ ELKB / Reformation Decade Project Center: Bavarian Garden in Wittenberg. In: bayern-evangelisch.de. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria , May 23, 2017, accessed on May 25, 2018 .
  66. ^ Project of the Swiss Evangelical Church Federation SEK and the Swiss Bishops' Conference SBK: The Swiss Reformation in Wittenberg. In: ref-500.ch. May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018 .
  67. ^ World Reformation Exhibition in Wittenberg - Luthergarten. In: luthergarten.de. German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (DNK / LWF), July 17, 2017, accessed on May 26, 2018 .
  68. i.monjencs: CPCE at the world exhibition of the Reformation | Community of Protestant Churches in Europe. (No longer available online.) In: leuenberg.net. Community of Protestant Churches in Europe CPCE, June 28, 2017, archived from the original on May 27, 2018 ; accessed on May 26, 2018 .
  69. Gasthaus Ökumene. In: ekd.de. Retrieved May 26, 2018 .
  70. Evangelical education worldwide. In: ekd.de. Retrieved May 26, 2018 .
  71. German Bishops' Conference: "Catholic in Lutherstadt" . ( dbk.de [accessed on May 26, 2018]).
  72. Focus on ecumenism. In: ekd.de. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  73. ↑ Thematic week “Interreligious Dialogue”. In: r2017.org. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  74. ^ EMW - Evangelical Mission in Germany. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  75. Jessica Hanack: 500 years of the Reformation: A city tour through Wittenberg . In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung . ( mz-web.de [accessed on May 27, 2018]).
  76. Stefanie Hommers: Concert on the palace stage: Ultraviolet happiness evening with Max Giesinger . In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung . ( mz-web.de [accessed on May 27, 2018]).
  77. ^ Bj: Unique pop oratorio "Luther" comes to Wittenberg: EKHN ǀ Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau. In: gott-neu-enthaben.ekhn.de. August 14, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  78. youngPOINTreformation - Evangelical Youth EKM. (No longer available online.) In: evangelischejugend.de. Children's and youth ministry of the EKM, February 24, 2017, archived from the original on May 28, 2018 ; accessed on May 27, 2018 .
  79. Summer School 2017 in Wittenberg. In: summerschool2017.org. Evangelisches Studienwerk e. V., accessed on May 27, 2018 .
  80. ^ Luther and the avant-garde. In: luther-avantgarde.de. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  81. wittenberg360.de. In: wittenberg360.de. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  82. Sabine Wesner: Eastern ramparts in Wittenberg: Construction continues on the Bunkerberg . In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung . September 13, 2017 ( mz-web.de [accessed on May 28, 2018]).
  83. ^ Wittenberg city church: Church @ night continues. In: wittenbergersonntag.de. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  84. ConfiCamps continue. In: ekd.de. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  85. ^ Swiss people hand over the Zurich Bible to Wittenberg. In: evangelisch.de. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  86. Ralph Bollmann: Jubilee of the Reformation: Luther is the bankruptcy of the year . In: FAZ . July 11, 2017, ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed May 28, 2018]).
  87. Final balance sheet in Wittenberg. 294,000 visitors to the “World Reformation Exhibition”. (No longer available online.) In: mdr.de. September 13, 2017, archived from the original on May 28, 2018 ; accessed on May 28, 2018 .
  88. ^ Report of the Presidium of the Synod of the EKD. In: ekd.de. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  89. ^ Heinrich Bedford-Strohm: Report of the Council of the EKD, oral part (A). 4th meeting of the 12th Synod of the EKD from November 12th to 15th, 2017 in Bonn. “Of the freedom of God's children”. In: ekd.de. November 12, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  90. Christoph Markschies: Departure or hangover mood? On the situation after the anniversary of the Reformation. Kreuz Verlag, Hamburg 2017, ISBN 978-3-946905-09-7 , urn : nbn: de: 101: 1-2019040314580595559083 (place of publication of the online edition: Freiburg im Breisgau).
  91. This is how it continues after the anniversary of the Reformation. In: evangelisch.de. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  92. Jörg Weber: Evangelical Church Community Trier: EKD Christ Festival Church Service. In: ekkt.ekir.de. Retrieved May 9, 2018 .
  93. ^ Church and Life, Münster, Germany: Lammert puts pressure on the churches at the ecumenical festival in Bochum . ( kirche-und-leben.de [accessed on May 12, 2018]).
  94. Verena Hammes: Shaping memories. To establish an ecumenical culture of remembrance using the example of the Reformation memoria 1517-2017 . Bonifatius - Verlag, Paderborn 2019, ISBN 978-3-89710-825-7 , p. 600 .
  95. Reformation anniversary 2017 in Wittenberg. October 31, 2017 . In: epd documentation . No. 45 of November 7, 2017. Joint work of Protestant journalism (GEP), Frankfurt am Main, p. 5-21, .
  96. Reformation anniversary 2017 in Wittenberg. October 31, 2017 . In: epd documentation . No. 45 of November 7, 2017. Joint work of Protestant journalism (GEP), Frankfurt am Main, p. 22-30 .
  97. ↑ Celebration service for the Reformation anniversary in Wittenberg on October 31, 2017 on YouTube , October 31, 2017, accessed on May 11, 2018. - 500 years of the Reformation - October 31, 2017 - Celebration service - In the beginning was the word. (PDF; 2.5 MB) Divine service regulations. (No longer available online.) In: luther2017.de. October 23, 2017, archived from the original on May 12, 2018 ; accessed on June 29, 2018 .
  98. Reformation anniversary 2017 in Wittenberg. October 31, 2017 . In: epd documentation . No. 45 of November 7, 2017. Joint work of Protestant journalism (GEP), Frankfurt am Main, p. 31-41 .
  99. Celebrations on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 in European cities . In: epd-Dokumentaion . No. 7 -8 2018 of 13 February joint venture of the Evangelical Publizitik (GEP), Frankfurt am Main.
  100. Topic years of the Reformation Decade. In: ekd.de. Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), accessed on February 20, 2019 .
  101. ↑ Decade of the Reformation in the regional church of Hanover. Retrieved February 20, 2019 .
  102. ^ The Decade of the Reformation. »Luther 2017« in Thuringia. Documentation, reflection, perspective. Eds. Annette Seemann, Thomas A. Seidel, Thomas Wurzel. Wartburg Verlag, Weimar 2018, ISBN 978-3-86160-560-7 ( eva-leipzig.de [accessed on February 20, 2019]).
  103. So u. a. Thies Gundlach , at home in fleeing existence: What will be celebrated with the Reformation anniversary in 2017 . Luther 2017, 500 years of the Reformation. In: Church Office of the Evangelical Church in Germany (Ed.): Perspektiven 2017. Ein Lesebuch . Hansisches Druck- und Verlagshaus, Frankfurt 2013, ISBN 978-3-86921-118-3 , p. 110–113, here: p. 112 .
  104. See Martin Luther and the Jews. Necessary reminder for the anniversary of the Reformation . Rally of the 2nd conference of the 12th EKD Synod, November 8-11, 2015 in Bremen. In: Thies Gundlach (Ed.): God new trust . The magazine for the Reformation anniversary 2017. Church Office of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Hanover 2016, DNB  1105410668 , p. 47-48 .
  105. Harmjan Dam: Martin Luther. In: ikonenmalenlernen.de, accessed on June 29, 2018.
  106. ^ Arik Platzek: Bund promotes Luther year 2017. In: hpd.de. Humanist Press Service , October 24, 2011, accessed February 14, 2017 .
  107. a b Christian Schröder: "To see Luther as a national hero should be shelved". In: Der Tagesspiegel . January 2, 2017, accessed on February 14, 2017 (title quotes Thomas Kaufmann).
  108. Marcus Mockler: Volker Leppin: "The EKD has made a precision landing". In: evangelisch.de. Joint work of Protestant journalism, February 7, 2017, accessed on February 14, 2017 (interview).
  109. The Reformation Jubilee 2017: Looking forward with hope. In: Herder correspondence. Special edition 2/2016.
  110. Klaus Holz: Luther's Abweg. In: zeit.de. Zeit Online, December 8, 2016, accessed February 15, 2017 .
  111. ^ Rally "Martin Luther and the Jews - Necessary Remembrance for the Reformation Anniversary". (No longer available online.) In: ekd.de. Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), November 11, 2015, archived from the original on November 7, 2017 ; accessed on February 14, 2017 .
  112. evangelisch.de : Reformation anniversary as an opportunity for cultural tourism. October 13, 2016, accessed on November 1, 2017 ("Source: epd").
  113. Interreg Central Europe: Official start of the Interreg project “European Cultural Route of the Reformation”. July 11, 2016. Press release, Erfurt, July 14, 2017, accessed on November 1, 2017.
  114. Theologian: Marketing Luther is "pathetic". The Protestant church historian Thomas Kaufmann sharply criticized the personality cult around Martin Luther in the year of the Reformation. The reformer is not suitable as a model for the present. In: kathisch.de. January 2, 2017, accessed June 28, 2018.
  115. ^ Bedford-Strohm: Germany needs more social justice. In: evangelisch.de. Joint work of Protestant journalism (GEP), January 1, 2017, accessed on February 15, 2017 .
  116. Margot Käßmann: There is no going back. What do we take away from the Reformation anniversary in 2017? In: EKD - pamphlet on Reformation Day 2018. Church Office of the EKD, p. 38 f. , accessed September 26, 2018 .
  117. ^ EKD: Position paper of the EKD on the Christian-Islamic dialogue. (PDF) In: ekd.de. Council of the EKD, accessed on September 28, 2018 .
  118. EKD - Social Science Institute: Islam and Muslims in Germany: The View of the Population - Nationwide Survey by the Social Science Institute of the EKD. Social Science Institute of the EKD, accessed on September 28, 2018 .
  119. State office “Luther 2017” and EKD office “Luther 2017 - 500 Years of Reformation” (Ed.): Reformation anniversary 2017. Review . Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2018, ISBN 978-3-374-05779-5 , pp. 332-334 .