Pope Francis receives unique Bible translation from Germany

Rome / Stuttgart. Faith can move mountains. In this case, the saying goes even beyond death. At the general audience, in the audience hall Paul VI in Rome, Pope Francis received the number ONE of the limited Wiedmann Bible ART edition on February 20th. The original is worldwide unique. It is a visual narrative of the Bible depicting the Old and New Testament in 3,333 illustrations. A printed copy of the special ART-Edition was gifted by the son of the artist, Martin Wiedmann.

"It was overwhelming. I stood in the Prima Fila (1st row). I have never been so full of anticipation in my life. Pope Francis listened attentively to Martin telling the Wiedmann Bible's story and was very enthusiastic about the work. My father worked long and hard on this Bible. Even in times when he was seriously ill. His faith strengthened him and never let him give up his hope that his Bible will be published one day," says Martin Wiedmann.

However, Willy Wiedmann (1929-2013) did not know back then that his son would be the one taking on this mission. He discovered the Bible with its 3,333 paintings in the attic of his father's gallery. He digitized the illustrations and first published virtual versions of the Bible. In cooperation with the German Bible Society and the renowned photographer and designer Manfred Rieker, the Wiedmann Bible was published as a print edition for the first time in February 2018. The limited ART-Edition contains all illustrations of the original. Comments as well as a biography of the artist and various bible verses from the revised Luther Bible 2017 complement the images. The golden edition is limited to 333 copies, the red and black edition to 3,000.

By now, among others, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, the Bavarian State Library in Munich, the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, the Bible Museum bibliorama in Stuttgart and the largest bible museum in the world, the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. (USA), added the Wiedmann Bible ART edition to their inventory. If and where the Wiedmann Bible ART-Edition will be showcased in the Vatican is not yet known.

For more information visit us at www.thewiedmannbible.com/press-kit.

Wiedmann Media AG: Production and distribution of artistic, literary and graphic works. The Company may acquire, enhance and dispose of licenses and other intellectual property. The Company is the owner of the Wiedmann Bible.

About the Wiedmann Bible
The Wiedmann Bible is the only visual narrative of the Bible depicting the complete Old and New Testament in 3,333 illustrations. After 16 years (1984–2000) of creative effort, and with the help of over 40 different Bible translations, German artist Willy Wiedmann completed his life’s work: 19 leporellos (accordion-style books) containing 3,333 images with a total length of almost 1 mile. Due to the lack of technology and monetary funds, Wiedmann was not able to publish his artwork. Because of this, he stored it in four aluminum boxes in his gallery’s attic in Stuttgart, Germany, where it fell into oblivion.

After Wiedmann’s death in 2013, his son Martin found the leporellos 
and decided to complete his father’s mission: to share the Bible with the world. Today, it is known as the Wiedmann Bible and it is the longest illustrated Bible ever created. You can discover the Wiedmann Bible through an interactive app and kiosk in English, German, and Spanish, as well as through a limited print edition. In 2018, the Wiedmann Bible made its first visit to the US and is now on display at Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, until April 28, 2019.

About Willy Wiedmann
Wilhelm Richard Heinrich “Willy” Wiedmann (* March 14, 1929, in Ettlingen, Germany † June 21, 2013, in Stuttgart, Germany) was a musician, composer, visual artist, church painter, gallery owner, curator, husband, and father. Wiedmann created his own artistic style which he called Polycon. It is made up of multiple panels comprised of geometric forms that overlap, intertwine and complement each other. The different compositions create pictures within pictures, which can be perpetuated endlessly. His vision was to create a complete, illustrated Bible as a continuous visual narrative. He pored over the words of the Bible, using over 40 different translations to aid his understanding. In 2002 the Willy Wiedmann was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his work in the service of art and culture.

Contact the Wiedmann Bible:
Wiedmann Media AG
Martin Wiedmann
P.O. Box 614
CH - 8853 Lachen
Switzerland

Martin Wiedmann Tel.: +41 79 400 9774
Diana Lammerts Tel.: +49 151 240 77997
Email: mailto:press@thewiedmannbible.com

This release was published on openPR.