Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte – Ritter, Bauern, Lutheraner

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Based on an idea of Matthias Weniger’s, the “Death of Heilsbronn” was reconstructed and “brought to life” for the state exhibition where death again strikes the lion’s head with a bone and the lion drops his lower jaw and sticks its tongue out as they did 500 years ago. A bell sounds, reminding us that every hour may be our last. The carving was done by the sculptor Thomas Hildenbrand, the smithing by Frank Trommer. The Freundeskreis des Hauses der Bayerischen Geschichte e. V. made this reconstruction on a scale of 1:1 possible through its generous financial support.

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2017 BAVARIAN STATE EXHIBITION

The Bavarian State Exhibition “Knights, Peasant, Lutherans” marking the Reformation quincentenary in 2017 presents a panorama of the period around and after 1500 in original settings – precious and exceptional objects tell the history of an epoch of upheaval and innovation.

Knights were fighting their last battles, peasants were rebelling, and cities were beds of seething unrest. Printing, tracts and battle anthems were spreading new ideas and casting centuries-old beliefs into doubt. The success or failure of the Protestant movement was primarily decided in Southern Germany, in Franconia, Swabia and old Bavaria. Martin Luther followed the Diet of Augsburg of 1530, which everyone hoped would resolve the confessional issue, from Coburg Castle.

Life around 1500
The exhibition shows life in the countryside, in cities, in abbeys, in knights’ castles. Precious and exceptional original objects from the period, works of art by Dürer, Cranach and many other masters, and striking installations and advanced display systems help answer the questions:

What moved people in those turbulent days?
Did Martin Luther’s ideas and writings change the world?
And what does that have to do with us today?