Conscience and Protest. 1521 to 2021

The state exhibition “Here I Stand: Conscience and Protest – 1521 to 2021” in Worms commemorates Martin Luther’s refusal to recant at the Imperial Diet in Worms on 18 April 1521. Similar historic scenes of protest, prompted by people’s freedom of conscience, are told by Anne Hutchinson (Massachusetts 1637), Olympe de Gouges (Paris 1791), Georg Büchner (Giessen 1834), Sophie Scholl (Munich 1943), Martin Luther King (Washington 1963) and Nelson Mandela (South Africa 1963). 

 

Our historical reflections of morality also cover essential ethical stances of today’s society, and this companion contains a collection of selected articles and illustrations for further reflection. It concludes with an epilogue by the editor, Volker Gallé, in which he describes the voice of conscience as “fully aware, thoughtful, talkative, personal and situational”.