Luther!
The year 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 theses in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation. To celebrate this momentous date, three special exhibitions were held across Germany. Working as Studio Neue Museen, a collaborative venture we cofounded with our fellow designers at Complizen Planungsbüro, we created one of those exhibitions for the Luther Memorials Foundation.
Luther Memorials Foundation
Luther!
2017
Covering 1,200 square meters, Luther! provided an impressive illustration of the lasting influence of one rebellious priest, while also shining a light on the darker aspects of his work and legacy.
The first part of the exhibition, 95 Treasures, presented 95 extraordinary objects from the world Luther lived in. These authentic artifacts of the Reformation era included a limewood relief of Saint George from the church Luther attended as a boy and a portable writing case that accompanied him on his travels.
The second part, 95 People, showed his influence from the 16th century to the present day by spotlighting 95 individuals, representing a range of religions and worldviews, that have claimed some connection to Luther. All of them, including Martin Luther King, Astrid Lindgren, Sophie Scholl, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Steve Jobs, have been motivated in some way, positive or negative, by Luther and his work.
