Johannes Block

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[Johannes Block. The Pomeranian Reformer and his Library]
Johannes Block, reformer of Barth, Pomerania, has to be counted among the most important figures of the early Reformation in north-eastern Europe. Since he left no writings of his own, little is known of his life and impact. But we can trace Block's biography by means of his private library donated by him to the Church Library of St. Mary's at Barth. With regard to this collection we are able to identify a singular life characterized by spiritual recommencements on the one hand and several strokes of fate on the other. As a humanist and itinerant preacher, Block left his native country, Lower Pomerania, about the year 1510, and worked in Livonia and Finland. On his return to Pomerania he took part in the Prince's Reformation organized by the Wittenberg Lutheran Bugenhagen (1534).
This publication gives insight into the socio-historical roots of Block's activities, compiling papers discussed by an international group of scholars at the Barth Bible Centre in 2015. Furthermore, Block's itinerant preacher's library is made accessible by a scholarly catalogue for the first time. Thus, Block's book collection can be rediscovered as a unique treasure of the first generation of reformists.