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Minister of State Pieper presents Nordic embassies with “Luther ambassadors”
On 31 October 2017 it will be 500 years since Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses. Looking towards this anniversary, a host of events are planned to mark the Luther Decade running from 2008 to 2017.
On Tuesday (12 June) Federal Foreign Office Minister of State Cornelia Pieper will be presenting the Nordic embassies in Berlin with five statues, so‑called “Luther ambassadors”.
In this connection Minister of State Pieper commented today (11 June) as follows:
As an outstanding figure of and ambassador for the Enlightenment, Martin Luther deserves to be commemorated also in the countries where the Reformation took root and flourished. With this symbolic gift of “Luther ambassadors”, we hope also to stimulate and foster interest in the history of the Reformation and how it is perceived in other parts of the world.
According to Prof. Ottmar Hörl, the creator of the statues, the aim is to bring Luther “down from his pedestal” and face to face with ordinary people. The statues come in black, crimson, cobalt blue and dark green.
The presentation ceremony with Minister of State Pieper will take place at the Felleshus of the Nordic Embassies. The Ambassadors of Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland will host the occasion and the subsequent meet-the-press event.
