This article was originally posted on the Taylor Reformation blog which has now become part of the Taylor Editions website with a dedicated Reformation Pamphlets series.

Henrike Lähnemann

In November 1520, Martin Luther published his pamphlet “On Christian Freedom” (Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen / De libertate christiana) which became the best-selling book of the 16th century. The online event celebrates the 500th anniversary of the publication by launching a new online edition and translation of the pamphlet, taking the publicity success to the 21st century. The edition is based on the four copies of the text (three in German, one in Latin) in the Taylor Institution Library and is published on the Taylor Editions website and as print-on-demand.

As with the previous Taylor Reformation Pamphlets, the launch will include a full relay reading of the original text with English subtitles. For this we are looking for German speakers (native and non-native) who would like to read out a short section of the pamphlet which is structured in 30 paragraphs– full induction into early modern German pronunciation is provided! Watch the podcast of the “Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen” and read the introduction into early modern German on the website. Please contact Henrike Lähnemann if you are interested in participating – former readers have included the Mayor of Bonn, Oxford school children, emeritus professors, linguistics students, Dutch native speakers, members of the German Lutheran Church and many more.

Schedule of the Presentation 5-6:30pm

5pm The Oxford Copies of the Freiheitsschrift

1.    Welcome to the Event (Henrike Lähnemann)

2.    Intro to the Taylorian Resources (Emma Huber)

3.    The History of the Prints (Maximilian Krümpelmann)

5:15pm The Edition of the Freiheitsschrift

1.    The Theological and Philosophical Background (Dennis and Hannah Clemens)

2.    Latin and German (Howard Jones, London, and Ari Warrington)

3.    Transcribing (Julia Bouquet and Madeleine Ahern)

4.    Translating (Anna Linton and Sharon Baker)

5:45pm Relay Reading of Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen

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For more medieval matters from Oxford, have a look at the website of the Oxford Medieval Studies TORCH Programme and the OMS blog! For further information on the Reformation Pamphlets, consult the Taylor Editions site.