On 26th of April at 7pm the Luther exhibition ‘Here I stand’ will be officially opened at the Namibian Scientific Society by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Christian Schlaga and the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia, Burgert Brand. On the occasion of this year’s anniversary of the Reformation, the exhibition on the topic of Martin Luther’s statement ‘Here I Stand’ can be visited between the 26th of April and the 5th of May. During the opening event, Bishop Brand will present a lecture in which he will reflect on the historical and theological context of that statement and will try to show the relevance of this statement as a tool for reflection and further developing protestant thought. 

Several posters will be exhibited touching on different themes, including the aspects Bishop Brand will present on the evening of the opening. On the one hand, the exhibition depicts the social and world order during Luther’s times, and on the other hand it explains how this order was affected by the Reformation. The Reformation itself is discussed in terms of its development and its origin in Martin Luther’s life. 

The Reformation is a significant event of history that affected countries all over the world. As the 500th anniversary of Luther’s posting his 95 theses will be this year, the German Government supports various cultural projects worldwide which commemorate this important part of history. The posters of this project are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office which also finances the exhibition ‘Here I Stand’ in other parts of the world. 

The Reformation has influenced the historical and social development of many countries, including Namibia. The focus of public attention this year will be on Namibia as it will host the General Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation, and Germany as the country of origin of Luther and other reformers, which will host the General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.