[From the webpage of the Luther-Gesellschaft. Follow link for a German Version: https://www.luther-gesellschaft.de/kongress-für-lutherforschung/struktur.html]
The Luther Congresses have succeeded in establishing a scholarly community centered around research on Martin Luther's life and thought. Participants tend to return to the Congress again and again. The Luther Congresses always unfold according to the model, established in 1956, presented here.
The Congress takes place every 4 or 5 years in July or August and lasts six days. On the opening Sunday the president of the Congress, a renowned Luther scholar from the host country, gives a lecture addressing the conference theme. A reception follows.
Every morning a short church service, arranged by the local committee, is held. The rest of the morning before lunch (except Wednesday) is reserved for keynotes delivered by respected researchers. These, centered around the overall theme, discuss aspects of Luther's life, thought, reception history or contemporary legacy. In the afternoon the seminars meet. The evenings are reserved for receptions or informal gatherings.
The seminars are a unique part of the Luther Congress. Each participant can choose one seminar from a wide variety of themes. The seminars are conducted by established scholars and address a topic within contemporary Luther research. The responsibility of the seminar-leader is to prepare the seminar one year in advance, that is, to contact and engage the participants, create a structure for the mutual work, supply them with materials and ideas, etc. The expectation is that the full year of preparation will be used actively – the participants should have one full year for their own preparation – so that potential new research can be carried out and insights gained during the Congress. The expectation is thus not that the seminars begin a common work, but that they end of year of mutual cooperation, culminating during the Congress. The inner structure of a seminar is free and entirely up to the seminar leader. Sometimes the seminars consist of full papers given by the participants and sent out in advance, at other times they are proper and well prepared common textual studies.
On Wednesday the morning is earmarked for short presentations of 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes of questions and answers. The idea is to offer a selection of tidbits, where both experienced and young scholars give impressions of their ongoing work and get thoughtful and helpful responses. After Wednesday lunch an excursion is offered to sights in the surrounding area. It gives Congress participants an opportunity to see parts of the host country and, at the same time, to socialize with one another.
Friday Evening the Congress ends with a festive dinner. Here leave is taken with retiring members of the Continuation Committee, and a word of welcome is said to new. A word of thanks is directed to the retiring local committee, and the location of the next upcoming Congress is announced.
