Rare Martin Luther writing found at Emory University

Ulrich Bubenheimer, a retired professor from Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen, Germany, and a leading expert on Luther, discovered this new example of Martin Luther’s handwriting while working with a printed bibliography in Pitts Theology Library at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Ulrich Bubenheimer, a retired professor from Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen, Germany, and a leading expert on Luther, discovered this new example of Martin Luther’s handwriting while working with a printed bibliography in Pitts Theology Library at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

A retired professor from Germany made an interesting discovery recently at Emory University.

He found a rare writing by Martin Luther, the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe.

Ulrich Bubenheimer, a retired professor from Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen, Germany, and a leading expert on Luther, discovered this new example of Luther’s handwriting while working with a printed bibliography in Pitts Library’s Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection, Emory officials said.

A three-line inscription in Latin on a pamphlet is believed to be the words of Luther. The key line of the inscription is Luther’s explanation of who is the author of the work, Emory officials said.

“Our immediate reaction was excitement,” said Bo Adams, interim director of Emory’s Pitts Theology Library. “We immediately wanted to verify the claim with advisers of the Kessler Collection, which we did.”

Emory officials said they were able to confirm the writing was Luther's through digital enhancements.
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