October 26, 2017 Library Marks the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

The Library of Congress will host two lectures and a display marking the quincentennial of the Reformation. Oct. 31, 2017, marks the 500^th year since Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany­ – the start of the Reformation movement. In the run-up to this year’s observation of the anniversary, a consortium of German and American partners collaborated to bring an unprecedented selection of historically relevant artworks and objects to the United States.

“Martin Luther as Priest, Heretic, and Outlaw: The Reformation at 500” is currently on display on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building through Jan. 1, 2018.  An online version of this exhibit can be found at loc.gov/rr/european/luther.html.

The European Division of the Library of Congress and the German Embassy will jointly present an illustrated lecture, “The Reformation at 500: German Treasures in the USA” by Tom Rassieur of the Minneapolis Institute of Art on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m. in room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, located at 10 First St. SE, Washington, D.C. This event is free to the public, and no reservations are required.

Rassieur is the John E. Andrus III Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). He also heads the Department of Prints and Drawings. He came to MIA in 2009 from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Though best known for his exhibitions on Rembrandt, he has also curated or co-curated exhibitions on German Renaissance prints, with emphasis on Albrecht Dürer, for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Nagoya. Rassieur was Minneapolis’ member of the German/American collaborative team that organized a major exhibition, “Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation,” and produced the spectacular two-volume companion publication.

On Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., the Library will present “The Reformation at 500: Rebel in the Ranks,” a book talk by Brad S. Gregory in the Whittall Pavillion on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street SE, Washington, D.C.  The event is free; however, tickets are required and may be obtained through rebelintheranks.eventbrite.com.

Gregory is the author of a new book, “Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the Conflicts That Continue to Shape Our World.” At the Library, Gregory will discuss Martin Luther’s life and legacy and the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Gregory is one of the foremost American historians and authors of the Reformation and Christianity in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and additional degrees from the University of Arizona and the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. His work has been recognized with the Phi Alpha Theta Best First Book Award and the American Catholic Historical Association’s John Gilmary Shea Prize. Gregory is a professor of European History at the University of Notre Dame. 

More information about the Library and the exhibitions is available at the information desks, at loc.gov/visit/ or by calling (202) 707-8000. Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.