Originating in the bible city of Stuttgart, a globally unique version of the Holy Scriptures has now been published in book form: The Wiedmann Bible ART Edition. The artist Willy Wiedmann was always closely associated with his adopted home. On March 19, the city of Stuttgart received 'Number 7' of the total of 3,333 issues as a tribute to its postcode group, now as a gift of honor from the publishers Wiedmann Media AG and Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. The mayor for security, order and sport and representative of the city of Stuttgart in the "Council of Religions", Dr. Martin Schairer, has received the copy.
Ceremonial handover in the festival room of the town hall. Dr. Martin Schairer, Mayor for Security, Order and Sport and representative of the City of Stuttgart in the “Council of Religions”, (3rd from right), Martin Wiedmann, son of the artist (2nd from left), Reiner Hellwig, Commercial and Publishing Director of the German Bible Society (2nd from right), City Councilor Hans-Peter Ehrlich (right) and Manfred Rieker, photographer, designer and creator of the ART edition (left). Photo: Thomas Wagner, rights: LHS
Mayor Dr. Martin Schairer said: “Representing the Bible in pictures is a wonderful idea because it makes it understandable for everyone. With his Bible, Willy Wiedmann has created an epoch-making work that appeals to young and old, Christians and non-Christians alike. This Bible makes you want to study the stories and contents of Christianity. The Biblical City of Stuttgart can consider itself lucky to receive such a valuable copy."
Photo: Thomas Wagner
The Wiedmann Bible lets the stories of the entire Old and New Testament speak through pictures and is therefore unique in the world. Willy Wiedmann worked on the artwork for 16 years (1984-2000). He painted all 3,333 pictures in the style of polycon painting, which he had developed in the 1960s. Wiedmann did not have the opportunity to publish his work during his lifetime. His son, Martin Wiedmann, discovered it stowed away in the attic after his father's death. He took up the challenge of continuing his dream and publishing the Wiedmann Bible. To do this, he had all 3,333 images digitized. A multimedia Bible world was created. With the ART edition, Wiedmann's last wish has now come true: to publish his work as a book. For Martin Wiedmann, this milestone has now also been reached: “It was always my father's dream. This is how he recorded it in his handwritten awards. He would be very happy and proud now. Precisely because Willy Wiedmann was deeply connected to Stuttgart and the masterpiece was created here, it was clear from the start that no one other than the city of Stuttgart should receive 'number 7'."
The ART edition was created in collaboration with the German Bible Society and the renowned photographer and designer Manfred Rieker. For him, working on the project was something completely new: “In my career I have received a lot of extraordinary inquiries. However, I can say that the Wiedmann Bible has become one of, if not the most extraordinary, project of my career. Working on the ART edition was both a great pleasure and a challenge for me. " The editions contain the complete images of the original and are supplemented by comments and a biography of the artist as well as various Bible verses from the revised Luther Bible 2017. It was also a very special project for the team of the German Bible Society, says Reiner Hellwig, commercial and publishing director of the German Bible Society: “The Wiedmann Bible is an art Bible, but it is also a picture Bible. The pictures are their language and thus offer a very unique approach. The pictures take the viewer into the world of the Bible, arouse curiosity and stimulate discussion of the biblical stories. So that the readers do not lose their orientation, we have added text passages and what would fit better with the power of Willy Wiedmann's pictures than the language power of Martin Luther? Correspondingly, we did the editing of the texts in-house. " Further information at www.diewiedmannbibel.de and www.die-bibel.de. The limited ART edition is now available in stores.