The boundaries of present-day Poland approximate those of a distant past when the country was a kingdom and the eastern outpost of a missioning Roman Catholicism. Here the Lutheran reformation made early gains so that by the mid-16th century two-thirds of the population were said to adhere to the Evangelical faith. The point of entry was East Prussia – and in the south – West Poland. In the city of Königsberg (Polish: Królewiec, today: Kaliningrad) Germans and Poles lived side by side. Stanisław Murzynowski (1527/8 – 1553), a Polish reformer who studied in Wittenberg, was also active in Königsberg. He was the first one to translate the New Testament into Polish (published in 1553). He also worked on developing and standardizing Polish orthography.
Plans for Reformation 500
The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is understood as an opportunity to reflect on the history of Lutheran church in Poland and to encounter the challenges of the ecumenical dialogue. According to the understanding of the Ev.-Luth. Church in Poland,
- The 500th Anniversary of Reformation is the time for thorough theological reflection, both at the personal and communion level. The celebrations will be ecumenical.
- Commemorating the Reformation, the Ev.-Luth. Church in Poland intends to go beyond history and ask Luther's key question about a merciful God in an increasingly secularized world
- The intention of this 500th anniversary is not to glorify Luther but present him as the engaged Christian and reformer of the church
- The Reformation Anniversary should engage with difficult topics which are a part of the history of the Reformation
- The Lutheran church in Poland intends to express its gratitude to God for the gospel about justification of the sinner by grace through faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ who is truly present among us through the Word and the sacraments.
- The general aim is to promote the presence of Lutherans in Poland in the broadest and most intense way—both in the past and present. The Ev.-Luth. Church in Poland has been working on projects that support the popularization of the Reformation in Poland through competitions in research in the areas of history and Reformation output. There are also plans to create modern multimedia materials concerning both the past and the present of the Lutheran church in Poland.
- A multimedia historical application OUR HISTORY has already been created. It documents the Lutheran heritage in Poland. There are plans to create a virtual map of the Lutheran monuments, including (non) existing churches, cemeteries, cantorates but also of valuable prints, including editions of the Holy Bible, song- and prayer books. The application, co-created with internet users, will become a virtual museum of places neglected and partially forgotten. Moreover, it will be helpful to all the people looking for signs of Reformation in Poland
See more under www.luter2017.pl .
