Landscape – confession – devotion: the region of Harz and the Duchy of Anhalt. 9th Polish-German Seminar Wrocław-Halle-Siegen, Gernrode/Wernigerode, 28 May – 2 June 2012

The 9th Polish-German Seminar Wrocław–Halle–Siegen took place between 28 May and 2 June 2012 in Gernrode and Wernigerode. It was held by the Evangelical Theology Seminar at the First Faculty at the University of Siegen, The Department of Early Modern History of the Church at The Faculty of Theology at The Martin Luther University in Halle and Wittenberg and The Department of the Renaissance Art History and Reformation at The Institute of Art History at the University of Wrocław. It took place under the auspices of Prof. Brigitta Wolff, the Minister of Science and Economic Affairs of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, and it was financially supported by the Foundation for Polish- German Co-Operation and Vereinigung der Freunde und Förderer der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg e.V. In 2012 the 800th anniversary of establishing the Duchy of Anhalt was celebrated. The papers delivered within the seminar by students of art history and theology as well as by specialists in the history of church marked both the social, political and cultural situation of the region, and the panorama of political and confessional changes in the area. They all became starting points for numerous discussions and gave opportunity to exchange views. The seminar was crowned with collective work – a chance to use the acquired knowledge in practice. The important social and religious movements as well as the personalities who had left their mark on the history of the region and whole Europe were born in the area of Anhalt. The 9th Polish-German Seminar Wrocław–Halle–Siegen proved the history of European centres being excited for researchers and students, and their meetings leading to cherish and deepen the knowledge of their heritage. It also favors development of cooperation between academic centres which take part in this project