Melanchthonhaus (Bretten)

The Melanchthon's house in Bretten is a museum on the history of the Reformation and a research facility to Philipp Melanchthon. In addition to an exhibition on the life of Melanchthon are in the house a research center, a specialized library and a documentation center for international Melanchthon research.

History

The building was constructed in 1897 on the site of 1689 destroyed the birthplace of Philip Melanchthon. The idea to build came from the church historian Nikolaus Müller. The building's design is derived from Johannes Vollmer, the construction was supervised by Hermann Billing and Wilhelm Jung. The façade decoration carried out the Brettener craftsmen Ludwig and Johann Christof Meffle Schick. On 25 June 1903, the house was inaugurated.

The outer shape and the facilities of neuspätgotisch style hotel features largely unchanged. On the face side to the marketplace of Bretten over two late Gothic portals is an ornate crest with balcony, about a mighty pinnacles of aggregated gable the inscription "God honor - Built by the Evangelical Christianity - Melanchthon on memory" carries. A gable picture shows Christ as ruler of the world.

Inside on the ground floor a fresco-adorned memorial hall with statues of Melanchthon and his companions. The apse of the hall takes on an altar, so that the space can also be used for church services. The four rooms on the first floor are aligned thematically: the " Prince's Room " provides the political framework of the Reformation is, the " humanist Room " presents important contemporaries Melanchthon, the " theologian room" is the study of Melanchthon in Wittenberg simulated and the "City Room " is the Coat of Arms of the 121 cities adorned with which Melanchthon was connected.

Library

The library now contains about 11,000 volumes on the history of the Reformation, of which 4277 are attributable to the legacy before 1900, including an incunabula. Ground floor of the library were donated and the estate of Nikolaus Müller, a total of about 1600 volumes. Through him 400 volumes from the estate of Wilhelm Ludwig Krafft could be purchased, as well as duplicates of the Wittenberg Luther Hall. Through further donations of stock to 1960 including 1,300 volumes from the estate of Melanchthon bibliographers Wilhelm Hammer grew up on 5140 title and now stand at around 11,000 titles to.

Technically, the library is hosted by the Baden State Library.