078 Reformation Centenary Broadsheet

According to tradition, the Protestant Reformation of the Christian church began in 1517 when a man named Martin Luther nailed a document to the door of the castle church of Wittenberg, in Germany. This document was his ’95 Theses’ and it called for an overhaul of the Catholic Church in Europe. Luther and others were angry at what they perceived as the corruption of Catholicism. They believed that true Christians could have a direct relationship with God, without the intervention of priests.

This is a souvenir poster called a broadsheet, and it was printed in 1617 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. On the left of the image is Luther nailing his ‘95 Theses’ to the church door. The quill of his pen has been exaggerated and it extends backwards, piercing the head of a lion. This lion represents Pope Leo X, and behind him the Pope is shown again, this time as a person with his hat being knocked off. Luther’s pen is symbolic of the truth; attacking the Pope and making him look foolish. On the other side of the image Luther is shown reading his bible in a shaft of divine light, and in the clouds of heaven above him the Christian Holy Trinity—the father, son, and holy ghost—are blessing him. This accentuates the Protestant message that bible-reading is the foundation of faith for a true Christian believer.

Printing not only meant that broadsheets like this could be produced cheaply and in large numbers, which could be seen by many people—it also meant that individuals could own their own bibles for the first time. This broadsheet celebrates the power of the written word, and it was this power that fuelled the Reformation and spread Luther’s message across Europe.