Concordia Theological Seminary invited you to walk through Katharina’s portal and enter the world of Martin Luther. From March 7 to 28, a traveling exhibition entitled, Martin Luther—The Reformer, was on display in Luther Hall. Arranged chronologically, the exhibit lead visitors through the life of Luther and leaves them pondering the impact of his life. Available were gorgeous reproductions of Cranach and Dürer woodcuts and paintings, illuminated manuscripts, architectural models, items from the Luther household, the tombstones of Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, and even Luther's death mask. Plus, visitors could stop at the interactive kiosks to learn even more.

The Genesis

Co-sponsored by the Luther Center in Wittenberg and the Foundation for Luther Memorial Sites in Saxony-Anhalt, all the pieces in the exhibit were painstaking replicas and facsimiles of the originals, which reside in the towns of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt that were central to Luther’s life. “The replicas were created during the years of the former German Democratic Republic by German craftsmen and artists who had no Luther exhibitions to mount and therefore no challenges besides artistic and historic integrity,” explained Dr. Cornelia Dömer, executive director of the Luther Center, in a visit to Concordia Theological Seminary in July 2003. “Since the collapse of Communism,” Dömer said, “it has been a joy once again to invite the people of the world to Wittenberg to visit the Luther sites in person.” She added that “this tour offers the opportunity to take Luther to America to be more fully appreciated by Americans of German heritage, by Lutherans and by the public in general.” Dr. Christian Krause, president of the Luther Center, writes that the exhibit “is a documentation of some of the most important phases and places of Martin Luther’s life and work. The theological and spiritual strength and dynamics of this remarkable man have not only changed the face of Europe but have ultimately reached people all over the world. The churches of the Reformation and more specifically those who carry his name as ‘Lutherans’ today represent a worldwide confessional family.”

The Journey

The exhibition began its North American journey in Winnipeg, Canada, on July 22, 2003 at the Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation. Concordia was the seventh of twelve stops, which included the Goethe Institute in Atlanta, the Luther Institute in Washington D.C., Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, and Concordia Historical Institute in Saint Louis. The tour ends February 2005 in Tempe, Arizona. See the itinerary for dates and places near you.

The Reformer

In 2000 Life Magazine ranked Martin Luther as number three among the 100 most influential people in the past millennium. Born in Eisleben in 1483, where he died in 1546, he studied in Eisenach, was ordained in Erfurt, and defended his doctrine in Worms. He attained world fame as the leading Reformer of the Christian Church while serving as a Professor at Wittenberg University. It was in Wittenberg, his home for 30 years, where he posted his 95 theses and first published his German translation of the New Testament in 1522. It was here that the Protestant Reformation took root and then spread across Europe and ultimately on to the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

The Exhibit

The exhibit portrayed Martin Luther, pious monk, courageous reformer, eloquent preacher, brilliant teacher, and loving family man, as the theologian who not only transformed western Christianity but also reformed German language and culture. Dr. Dömer noted that the exhibition is organized in a circle representing "the twelve chapters of Luther’s life." The exhibit moves you physically through a display for each of these chapters, bringing you face-to-face with 172 items seen outside of the Luther lands for the first time. Each chapter begins with a quote from Luther’s writings and an introductory text. The chapters include:

• The World of Martin Luther
• Martin Luther’s Path to Wittenberg
• Luther’s 95 Theses
• The Leipzig Disputation and Its Consequences
• The Bull of Excommunication and Luther’s Primary Reform Writings
• Worms: Before Emperor and Estates
• Luther at the Wartburg Castle
• Reforms in Wittenberg and Thomas Muntzer
• Education and Social Reform in the Reformation
• Marriage, Family, and Friends
• Luther’s Death
• The Lasting Significance of Luther’s Work

A full-color exhibition booklet, with quotes, introductions, and images from the exhibit, is available for purchase at the exhibit.

The Major Themes

While the “twelve chapters of Luther’s life" provide a chronological movement through the exhibit, this skeleton is infleshed with a series of sub-themes. These include an emphasis on the places where he lived and worked, his reforms, his translation of the Bible, and his wife Katharina von Bora.

The art of Lucas Cranach was also used throughout. The relationship between Cranach and Luther had a great impact on Cranach’s subsequent life and art. Cranach devoted the best of his artistic work to the Reformation; his closeness to the Reformer was a source of inspiration to him.

The lasting significance of Luther’s hymnody, the impact of the translation of the Bible into the vernacular, and the Reformation artistry of Cranach and Dürer was explored by CTS professors in a series of convocations.

Our Journey

Pastors and teachers, children and adults in Indiana and the surrounding states, journied to the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary for an educational encounter with Martin Luther—The Reformer. A visit to the exhibit often included daily chapel, a multimedia presentation, lunch, and a guided tour of the exhibit.