Research Reports: The Luther Bible of the Silk Embroider Hans Plock

She is going to examine the source material and secondary literature of the RFB relating to the culture and history of the Reformation in order to advance the analysis and evaluation of Plock's valuable Luther Bible. Since her graduation in German and English studies in August 2018, Carolin Geib has been working on historical linguistic aspects and analyses for the project "Digitalization of the Bible of the Silk Embroider Hans Plock". Together with Prof. Dr. Claudine Moulin, a workshop, a blog post and a seminar on "The House Bible of the Silk Embroider Hans Plock (ca. 1490-1570)" Medium, Language, Cultural History" (summer term 2020) could be realized in the context of this project. The target of the entire research project is the digitization and content examination of this valuable Luther Bible.

Luther's two-volume Bible edition, printed by Hans Lufft in Wittenberg in 1541 and subsequently annotated by Plock, has an inestimable historical, historico-cultural, art-historical and linguistic value. Plock's handwritten annotations and commentaries on contemporary political and theological events, with quotations by Luther as well as glued-in picture elements create a unique insight into the epoch of the Reformation from a very personal perspective, similar to that of a diary.

In preparation for the digital edition of the Luther Bible relating to the artisan Hans Plock who worked as a silk embroider at the court of Albrecht of Brandenburg (1490-1545), Carolin Geib considers it essential for a well-founded research to sift through relevant secondary literature in Wittenberg. The RFB has a significant total stock of about 220,000 volumes, including an old stock of about 100,000 titles with a focus on prints of the 16th and 17th centuries. Among them, there is one of three valuable books from Plock's private collection, which give an impression of his intensive study of the Lutheran doctrine.

The exploration of the source holdings and secondary literature of the RFB with its thematic focus on the culture and history of the Reformation will therefore certainly be an inspiring and profitable research exchange with the colleagues in Wittenberg.

contact person: Carolin Geib