VfB Stuttgart receives a special gift for its club anniversary: one of the limited editions of the Wiedmann Bible ART-Edition - of course in red and with the number 1893, the year the club was founded. VfB President Wolfgang Dietrich receives the magnificent volume from the hands of Martin Wiedmann, the artist's son, and Reiner Hellwig, German Bible Society.
Even if it doesn't seem so at first glance, the football club and the globally unique Bible have a lot in common: The Wiedmann Bible and VfB both have their roots in the Stuttgart district of Bad Cannstatt. Founded on September 9, 1893 as the Stuttgart football club, VfB Stuttgart was created in 1912 through the merger with the Cannstatter Kronen Club. The founding house of the association and the gallery are still here today.
Willy Wiedmann was a well-known figure in Bad Cannstatt during his lifetime. The then longest-serving gallery owner in the state capital received the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon in 2002 for his work in the field of art and culture. In addition, the former DFB and honorary president of VfB Stuttgart Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder and Willy Wiedmann were good friends. In addition to the actor Walter Schultheiß, the former Prime Minister Lothar Späth and the publisher Michael Klett, Mayer-Vorfelder was one of his regular prominent guests at Tuchmachergasse 6. At that time known as the “Galerie am Jakobsbrunnen”, the house has been open to the public again since 2015 opened.
The connection to VfB Stuttgart also extends over the following generations: Martin Wiedmann, the son of the late artist, and his sons are die-hard VfB fans and club members. “Precisely because the VfB and the Wiedmann Bible both have their roots in Bad Cannstatt, it was clear to us from the start that the number 1893 could only go to the traditional club. It is a unique work and what occasion is better than a 125th anniversary, ”says Martin Wiedmann, the artist's son and discoverer of the Wiedmann Bible. The Wiedmann Bible is published by the German Bible Society in Stuttgart. Reiner Hellwig, Commercial and Publishing Director and also VfB fan, appreciates the surprising connections that arise with this special Bible. “Stuttgart is a football city and a city of the Bible. We are pleased to bring these two very different sides of Stuttgart together with the Wiedmann Bible. The Wiedmann Bible is absolutely unique worldwide and yet, like its artist, a real Stuttgart original! " “We are very happy about the great solidarity of the Wiedmann family with our association and this wonderful anniversary present. The founding fathers of VfB Stuttgart and Willy Wiedmann were each pioneers in their field and from Bad Cannstatt they built and achieved great things. In addition to our regional roots, we are united by an awareness of tradition and values. I would like to thank Martin Wiedmann and Reiner Hellwig for this impressive and valuable work of art, ”emphasizes VfB President Wolfgang Dietrich. With the Wiedmann Bible, Willy Wiedmann has created a work of art that is unique in many respects worldwide. The 1.2 km long Leporello is not only the longest painted Bible in the world, it is also in the Guinness Book of Records and reproduces the Old and New Testaments in 3,333 images. The ART edition, limited to 3,333 copies, is available in bookshops.