The Thuringian Minister for Culture, Federal and European Affairs and Head of the State Chancellery Prof. Dr. Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff emphasized: “Thuringia's rich cultural heritage inspires historical review: After the successful Reformation year of 2017 and the anniversary year of the Bible translation in 2022, we are now in the middle of preparations for the central event in Thuringia in 2025, the state exhibition on the Peasants' War. The main location of the show will be the Mühlhausen Museums and the Panorama Museum Bad Frankenhausen; further complementary projects and accompanying locations are planned, which will also connect lesser-known spaces in an attractive way for tourists. Over the past 500 years, the Peasants' War has experienced a diverse reception that continues to concern us today: values such as participation and creative opportunities in democratic processes, social participation and freedom of expression are relevant then as well as today; a look at the Peasants' War offers reflection and controversy in debate with the story. The Free State and the federal government are jointly supporting and promoting this tourist and national historical highlight, which we look forward to with great excitement.”
Saxony-Anhalt's State Minister and Minister for Culture Rainer Robra said: “The landscapes that form today's Saxony-Anhalt are among the heartlands of the Reformation. Saxony-Anhalt is not only Luther's country, Thomas Müntzer also worked here. The multi-part state exhibition “Gerechtigkeyt 1525” commemorates the Peasants' War, which marked a significant turning point in German history, as well as the deeds and effects of Müntzer's actions. 500 years ago, the pursuit of justice was a central motif of the Peasants' War movement. It is important to continually ask this question about justice. The state exhibition deals with this topic and links historical events with current questions about individual freedom, tolerance and participation. The Luther Memorial Foundation, the Cultural Foundation of Saxony-Anhalt, the Art Foundation of Saxony-Anhalt and the Werkleitz Gesellschaft e.V. are cooperating for this purpose. The concept combines the consideration of historical and current topics, historical research with art and culture. The first part of the exhibition will open on May 30, 2024, in Luther's death house in Eisleben and will mark the start of the nationwide series of events commemorating the Peasants' War. I cordially invite all citizens to research history together, to reflect on it and to grapple with the timeless questions of justice and freedom.”
Dr. Thomas T. Müller, director of the Luther Museums and board member of the Luther Memorials Foundation in Saxony-Anhalt, added: “The radical preacher Thomas Müntzer, who came from Stolberg in the Harz Mountains, is undoubtedly one of the most exciting personalities of the first generation of reformers. With the exception of Martin Luther, no reformer was so retroactively held responsible for an ideology as Müntzer. In the GDR, in 1975, the theologian, like Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx, was even honored with his image on an official banknote.”
Thuringia as the location of the first freedom movement
The Peasants' War of 1525 shaped the collective memory in German-speaking countries for generations. Thuringia was not only the scene of a decisive turning point in the uprising, but also the final place of work for the radical reformer Thomas Müntzer. The state exhibition “freiheyt 1525” in Mühlhausen (April 26th to October 19th, 2025) and Bad Frankenhausen (May 10th to August 17th, 2025) focuses on the first freedom movement in German history in the spirit of (re)thinking.
Its substantive approach will leave the narrower historical and regional framework and go well beyond it. In the exhibition, the events in Thuringia are placed in a supra-regional context. In addition to the events in southwest Germany, as the center of the movement, other German-speaking regions between the Main and the Alps also play a role. The exhibition approaches the phenomenon of the Peasants' War from many different perspectives: Different people, actors or onlookers offer different perspectives on the realities of the year 1525. This distinguishes the Mühlhausen show from other regionally tailored exhibitions for the commemorative year. According to its title, the state exhibition invites people to intensively engage with the diverse, exhibition-spanning concept of “freedom” and offers visitors current and individual points of reference.
Further information on the background, venues and events can be found at www.bauernkrieg2025.de
Saxony-Anhalt reflects the values and ideals of the Reformation
The state exhibition “Gerechtigkeyt 1525” in Saxony-Anhalt ties in with the Reformation tradition in the state with its focus on the Mansfeld-Südharz district. It invites not only to reflect on the events of the Peasants' War, but also to appreciate the fundamental values and ideals of the Reformation and to make them fruitful for our time and forms a highlight in the commemorative year “Gerechtigkeyt. Thomas Müntzer & 500 Years of Peasants’ War”.
The Luther Memorials Foundation is making the nationwide start to the series of events. In the interactive hands-on exhibition “1525! Uprising for Justice” in Lutherstadt Eisleben and Mansfeld, from the end of May 2024, guests can slip into the roles of people in a typical Central German town around 1525 and experience the time immediately before the uprising from different perspectives. The exhibition “Early Renaissance. Central Germany on the Eve of the Peasants' War”, a second exhibition is being created as part of a cooperation between the Cultural Foundation of Saxony-Anhalt and the Werkleitz Society. Up to 15 international media artists explore Müntzer's places of work, important sites of the development of modern agriculture as well as current locations of agricultural production and develop new works. The results of this artist-in-residence program will be presented at the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle (Saale) from May 25, 2025. A public art trail will also be created in Allstedt in May and in Müntzer's birthplace, Stolberg, the art foundation is reflecting on the commemorative years with two HOME SCHOLARSHIPS under the title "An imprint for Müntzer" in the Alte Münze Museum.
Further information on the background, venues and events can be found at www.gerechtigkeyt1525.de.
Starting points for tourism marketing
Freedom and justice are emotional, culturally and historically relevant and interesting topics for tourism in the two federal states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The state exhibitions and the associated events offer various starting points for tourism marketing in the two countries.
“From our guest numbers, we always clearly see how important suitable travel reasons are. Appropriate topics combined with high-quality content are crucial for the reach and perception of our travel destinations. freiheyt1525 allows Thuringia guests to immerse themselves in these historical topics in a multi-layered way and experience the aura of the Middle Ages in authentic places. The connection across national borders will have a positive effect on the length of stay in the regions,” reported Christoph Gösel, Managing Director of Thüringer Tourismus GmbH, at the ITB press conference.
The re from the Middle Ages continues to fascinate today. The Central German region positions itself as a source for outstanding art, culture and historical expertise. “Saxony-Anhalt is rich in world culture; we delight our guests with these original locations as well as active offers in beautiful nature and holidays in picturesque places. Thanks to the modern formats of the state exhibition, we can reach younger target groups, which we also reach with our campaign “Truly beautiful. Saxony-Anhalt”. Both partners benefit from the successful cooperation between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, as with the topics of Luther and Bauhaus, especially in foreign marketing,” explained Dr. Robert Franke, managing director of the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt mbH.
Your Contacts:
IMG Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt mbH
Sabine Kraus
Telefon: +49 172 3221694
Sabine.kraus@img-sachsen-anhalt.de
Thuringian Tourism GmbH
Maja Neumann
Telefon +49 178 2778160
m.neumann@thueringen-entdecken.de