Plauen remembers biblical scholar Konstantin von Tischendorf

Plauen is commemorating the biblical scholar and theologian Konstantin von Tischendorf (1815-1874) with an exhibition to mark the 150th anniversary of his death. The show at the Vogtland Museum is intended to make the important 19th century Bible manuscript researcher and his life and work better known, said museum employee Martin Salesch, who is helping to oversee the exhibition. Under the motto "The search for the oldest Bible - A high school student from Plauen writes world history", personal items belonging to Tischendorf and original letters will be on display.

The exhibition is based on the collection of Tischendorf biographer Alexander Schick from Schleswig-Holstein. He also curated the show. "He has been working with this scholar and researcher of the Holy Scriptures for years," explains Salesch.

Significant Bible manuscript discovered

Von Tischendorf, born in nearby Lengenfeld, attended a grammar school in Plauen for five years from 1829. He later studied theology in Leipzig and undertook numerous journeys through Europe and the Orient in his search for old Bible manuscripts. Salesch continued: "He not only found them, but also edited and analyzed them, making an important contribution to biblical research."

Von Tischendorf is best known for his discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete manuscript of the New Testament. This was found in 1859 in St. Catherine's Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula and is considered one of the most important discoveries in biblical scholarship.

From the anniversary of his death on December 7 and until January 5, 2025, the exhibition at the Vogtland Museum will not only focus on this discovery, but also on the adventurous life of the researcher himself, who is often referred to as the "Indiana Jones of biblical research".