Luther and His Legacy 500 Years Later – a Contemporary Perspective from Germany

Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis In Germany the commemoration of 500 years since the publication of the thesis of Martin Luther on   Doctrine of justification by faith in Wittenberg was celebrated during whole of 2017. This celebration also included other personalities who played an important role in the reformation from all over Europe. Every region was eager to see its special history noted and the specific impact of reformation on the people involved, for example the women or the peasants examined. Luther’s problematic attitude towards the Jews and the Anabaptists was not neglected. An emphasis was put on commemorating the reformation in an ecumenical way, especially in cooperation with Roman Catholic representatives worldwide. Examples of this were the Luther garden and the World Exhibition on Reformation both in Wittenberg. While respecting the specific roles of each other the state and the churches also cooperated effectively.