On 31 October 2017, the 500th anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses—and thus the beginning of the Reformation—was commemorated. The Salzburg Museum took this occasion as an opportunity to shed light on the eventful history of Salzburg’s Protestants, from the remarkably rapid spread of the new faith, through the countermeasures imposed by the ruling archbishops, which culminated in the great emigration of 1731–1732, to the ecumenical dialogue with the Catholic Church in the present day.
Important historical documents guide visitors through the exhibition. Particular emphasis is placed on the art of medal-making, which, alongside printed graphics, vividly commemorates the fate of the Salzburg Protestant emigrants of 1731–1732. For this purpose, the Spängler Bank made screw medals from its collection available for display. These medals contain fascinating printed and hand-coloured series of images and rank among the most remarkable surviving testimonies to Protestantism in Salzburg.
