The year 2025 marks the 500th anniversary of the end of the German Peasants' War and the anniversary of the death of the reformer Thomas Müntzer. Saxony-Anhalt is marking the nationwide commemoration with a decentralized state exhibition.

The Luther Memorials Foundation is kicking off the series of events nationwide. In the interactive hands-on exhibition "1525! Uprising for Justice" in Eisleben and Mansfeld, visitors can immerse themselves in the world of upheaval until January 6, 2026. They have the opportunity to slip into the roles of the inhabitants of a typical central German town around the year 1525 and experience the time immediately before the uprising from different perspectives.
As part of a cooperation between the Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Foundation and the Werkleitz Society, the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle (Saale) is hosting the special exhibition "PLANETARIAN BUILDERS. Agriculture, Art, Revolution" .
Up to 15 international media artists will explore Müntzer's places of activity, historically significant sites of the development of modern agriculture and current sites of agricultural production and develop new works. The results of this artist-in-residence program will be presented together with 15 other international artistic positions at the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle (Saale).

GLOWING HORIZONS - Public art trail
In Allstedt, where Müntzer held his famous princely sermon in 1524, the Saxony-Anhalt Art Foundation is setting up a public art trail. Sculptures, installations and art education activities will turn Allstedt into a hub for contemporary art in the anniversary year. For the duration of six months, multifaceted sculptural works made of wood, metal and ceramics will be on display in Allstedt's town center, dealing with themes such as the goddess of justice Justitia and modern leaders or symbolizing times of upheaval and unrest. Twelve selected artists from Saxony-Anhalt will be showing their works on the themes of justice, home and the landscape of the southern Harz region, which was shaped by mining.

A cloud for the city wall, sculptor Julia Schleicher © M. Ritzmann/ Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt

HEIMATSTIPENDIUM in Stolberg
There is a special edition of the HEIMATSTIPENDIUM in Stolberg. The small town in the Harz Mountains is home to the Alte Münze museum. The museum's special feature is a minting machine that is still used to mint medals. Under the motto "The rebellious reformer", sculptor Pannike poses questions about Müntzer's militant uncompromising attitude and his dramatic end during the peasant uprising. "Home - when earth shapes" is the title of Georg Mann's project. He is working on a unique coin project, the so-called Erdprägung. Contemporary art that reflects the cultural heritage meets the treasures of the Alte Münze Museum's collections!

Glowing horizons art trail in Allstedt
The focus is on ten contemporary works that deal with themes such as justice, change, home and leadership. The occasion is the 500th anniversary of the Peasants' War and Thomas Müntzer's sermon in Allstedt. Visitors will encounter installations, sculptures and activities made from a variety of materials along a one-kilometre circular route in the town center. Artists from Saxony-Anhalt and beyond - such as Rebecca Belmore from Canada - have creatively interpreted historical references. Works such as a chapel of longing, a ceramic figure with a Müntzer quote or a series of banners with portraits of the city's inhabitants link the past with the present.
May 17 to October 5, 2025

Museum Alte Münze © Stolberg Tourist Information and Alte Münze

A coin for Müntzer for the HEIMATSTIPENDIUM of the Art Foundation at the Alte Münze Museum in Stolberg
On the occasion of the commemorative year "Gerechtigkeyt 1525", the Saxony-Anhalt Art Foundation is realizing a special edition of its unique HEIMATSTIPENDIUM in Stolberg, the birthplace of Thomas Müntzer. Back in May, the Board of Trustees unanimously decided to entrust the sculptor Katrin Pannicke and the artist Georg Mann with this project.
March 23 to October 5, 2025

1525! Uprising for justice LutherMuseums in Eisleben and Mansfeld
Churches, monasteries and castles went up in flames when ordinary people rebelled against their spiritual and secular rulers in 1525, including in central Germany. But how did this uprising actually come about? The hands-on exhibition in Eisleben and Mansfeld offers an unusual way to find out: A large walk-in game board allows visitors to slip into the roles of those involved at the time and experience the period immediately before the uprising from different perspectives.
until January 6, 2026

Planetary Peasants Moritzburg Art Museum Halle (Saale)
2025 marks the 500th anniversary of the end of the German Peasants' War. This provides the impetus for a contemporary artistic exploration. Based on the preconditions and unanswered questions of the events of that time, it deals with the state of globalized agriculture and the realities of farmers' lives today, as well as the topicality of the demands of 1525.
The exhibition Planetary Peasants presents 30 current artistic positions. Internationally active artists and collectives have been invited to develop new works or expand existing works in a site-specific way during a residency in Saxony-Anhalt. They explore the conditions of production and the emancipatory potential of today's agricultural practices. At the same time, they will focus on social issues and problems that led to the Peasants' War 500 years ago and are still relevant today in various societies around the world in different forms.
May 23, 2025 to September 14, 2025

Design: Robota 500 - as a landmark to commemorate 500 years of the Peasants' War© Stine Albrecht & Hermann Beneke

Monasteries. Plundered. In the turmoil of the peasant uprisings State Museum of Prehistory Halle (Saale)
The State Museum presents a comprehensive exhibition of archaeological finds from the ruins of the Himmelpforte and Kaltenborn monasteries, which were destroyed 500 years ago, as well as the rediscovered Mallerbach Chapel, the storming of which is regarded as the first sign of the uprisings of 1525 in central Germany. The exhibition brings together important results of ongoing research projects and raises questions about what actually happened during the uprisings of spring 1525: smashed church windows, broken seals, hastily hidden gold coins and the remains of torn books provide an extraordinary insight into the downfall of medieval monastic culture, and in particular the secular monastic rule that had shaped the lives of peasants and citizens for centuries.
June 28 to November 30, 2025

Multimedial Müntzer Allstedt Castle
The special exhibition planned at Allstedt Castle focuses on the biography of Thomas Müntzer and his work in Allstedt. His career with its rise and fall, his relationship with Martin Luther, the Allstedt League and the sermon at Allstedt Castle, which had far-reaching consequences for the outcome of the Peasants' War, will all play a prominent role.
from July 13, 2025

www.gerechtigkeyt1525.de
kunststiftung-sachsen-anhalt.de