31.3.10

„450 Years Heidelberg Catechism“

Great Exhibition planned in 2013 at Heidelberg and Apeldoorn

With a full-scale exhibition project in three locations Heidelberg and the dutch Apeldoorn in 2013 want to commit the 450th jubilee of the Heidelberg catechism. This announced Heidelberg lord mayor Dr. Eckart Würzner and Michael Hörrmann, manager of the state castles and gardens Baden-Wurttemberg, on March 31st in the Heidelberg castle. The partners in the project expect large international interest in the three exhibitions and events in 2013, because the Heidelberg catechism is still an obliging scripture of denomination of reformed congregations and is used by more than 20 million people daily.

The catechism originated in 1563 by order of the prince elector Friedrich III of the Palatinate in Heidelberg and found worldwide dissemination after his recognition on Dordrecht synod in 1619. Since then it has formed the ecclesiastical and political life and became the symbol of the break-up and the change in Europe, America and Asia.

The partners of cooperation (from left to right): Karla Apperloo-Buersma, executive of the project Refo500, Prof. Dr. Friedrich Hepp, director of the Kurpfälzisches Museum of the city of Heidelberg, Dr. Eckart Würzner, lord mayor Heidelberg, Michael Hörrmann, staff manager of Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg, Dr. G. J. de Graaf, mayor of the dutch town Apeldoorn, Prof. Dr. Johan R. ter Molen, director of the royal national museum Het Loo at Apeldoorn, and Prof. Dr. Hermann J. Selderhuis, scientific curator at Johannes A Lasco-library, Emden.

Signing a suitable declaration of intent at March 31st the cooperation partners - the Kurpfälzisches Museum of the city of Heidelberg, the state castles and gardens Baden-Wurttemberg, the Johann A Lasco library in Emden, the international project Refo500 and the Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn - sealed the jubilee project. From the Netherlands DR. G. J. de Graaf, mayor of Apeldoorn, and Prof. Dr. Johan R. of ter moles, manager of the royal palace Het Loo, came specially for this occasion to Heidelberg.

Dr. Eckart Würzner, lord mayor of the city of Heidelberg: „The Heidelberg catechism was translated into 40 languages and enjoys until today a worldwide dissemination, particularly in countries of calvinistic imprint like the Netherlands, Switzerland or Hungary. Hence, the origins of this important theological scripture deserve special attention. In common with our partners from the Netherlands we are glad to be able to present this special exhibition project in Heidelberg and Apeldoorn on the occasion of the jubilee of the catechism.“

In the A Lasco library in Emden a preparatory conference will take place in spring 2011 on the subject. The scientific curator Prof. Dr. Herman J. Selderhuis announced this in Heidelberg. Also the endowment Refo500, to which universities, libraries, media partners, churches and institutions in the Netherlands, Belgium, the USA and Germany belong, will support the exhibition project by a common catalogue. This was reported by the Refo500 project manager Karla Apperloo-Boersma.

The exhibition will be shown from March to October 2013 in parallel in three locations: in the Heidelberg castle, in the Kurpfälzisches Museum and in the Paleis Het Loo, Apeldoorn. In doing so, each house shows one of three subjects under the joining title „450 years of Heidelberg catechism“.
The glamour of the palatine-elector’s court, its dynastic interweaving with important European dynasties and the strong will to the reformation of the faith will be central subject areas in the exhibition in the castle.
Manager Michael Hörrmann: "The Palatine princes counted to the leading european powers having disseminated the Calvinism. And in Heidelberg castle one experiences the stress ratio between their political claim to power, their religious views and a strong need for representation."
However, the Kurpfälzisches Museum of Heidelberg will address itself to the theological aspect and put the Heidelberg catechism into the context of its time: the age of the crisis, the humanism and the sciences.

In the partner exhibition in Apeldoorn the religiousness of the house Oranien, the former and today's meaning of the Heidelberg catechism and his worldwide dissemination will be at a central position.

„With the Heidelberg castle, the Kurpfälzisches Museum and the Paleis Het Loo we have found the ideal locations for the exhibition project: The reputation of three houses will help to move the subject also for international visitors into the center of interest", so manager Michael Hörrmann.

Prof. Dr. Friedrich Hepp, director of the Kurpfälzisches Museums Heidelberg, presentates the authentic Copy of Heidelberg Catechism, 1563

The partners in cooperation signig the treaty.

unofficial translation - in case of bad grammar we ask for patience