Conclusion

During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther used the printing press as a medium to distribute his work and reach a large audience of people efficiently, and at a low cost. It can be argued that printing hs works contributed to his popularity and the growth of the movement. Although Luther's distinct branding of printed works made his work easily identifiable, thus putting printers and distributers in danger, Pettegree would argue that Luther's movement was responsible for a blossoming printing industry in Wittenberg, which only continued to grow. The sustainability of the printed documents allowed for new editions of his work to continue to printed. For example, in 1563, 165 new editions of his work was printed. It is evident with the items in this exhibit that the remaining copies of his work have stood the test of time, with the work still being legible and in fairly good shape. Digitizing these items allow for further textual sustainability, providing anther medium to view these works and understand how they contributed to the Reformation movement.