06 June 2024
The conference taking place these days in Bretten under the theme “Erbe des Humanismus” is the last for Dr. Günter Frank in his capacity as director of the European Melanchthon Academy, and thus reason for an official farewell.
Günter Frank was the first in 2010 to ensure that Refo500 went international and he has supported Refo500/REFORC in every way possible ever since on behalf of the European Melanchthon Academy, also as a coordinator for the German speaking area.
His conviction that the Reformation is something common to all who do research on early modern Christianity has led to many collaborative and REFORC labeled projects.
For more than 26 years, he led the EMA and contributed to the Melanchthon Schriften der Stadt Bretten series. He also worked on the publication of Melanchthon’s critical works.
The beautiful Melanchthon memorial hall in Bretten (D) is the setting for the many lectures that are held by scholars from different countries on the occasion of the reformer Melanchthon and the upcoming humanism in Europe.
In his welcome word, Mayor Martin Wolff praised the way the anniversary years of 2010 (Melanchthon) and 2017 (Reformation) were taken up by the director, leading to a multitude of events in an ecumenical context.
Concerning the theme of the conference, Wolff asked his audience whether, especially in these times, with its rising hatred and intolerance, it would not be good to think more deeply about how we can put the reformatory power of humanism at the center of our attention.
Mayor Martin Wolff, Melanchthon City Bretten
