2012 is the year of St Thomas Boys’ Choir, St Thomas’s Church and the boarding school of St Thomas’s – all founded 800 years ago. Several thematic exhibitions will look at those 800 years full of extraordinary events and present exciting contemporary-witness reports, countless important documents and as of yet unpublished audio and visual material.

Festive music composed by directors of St Thomas Boys’ Choir
With the title ‘Praise the Lord, my soul! – festive music composed by directors of St Thomas Boys’ Choir’, the Grassi Museum of Musical Instruments (Johannisplatz 5–11) will run an exhibition giving insight into the work of the choir’s directors. The show will run until December 30, and take visitors on a musical journey in time. On display will be instruments and effigies of the directors, images of important historic places, three-dimensional models of the most important churches of Leipzig and a multimedia presentation.


Excavation finds from St. Thomas’s Yard

‘History brought to light – excavation finds from St. Thomas’s Yard’ is the name of an exhibition that will run from June 7 until November 3 at Commerzbank Leipzig in Thomaskirchhof 22. It will present finds that came to light in 2002 during the construction of the underground car park to the north of St. Thomas’s. Until the Reformation, the medieval monastery of St. Thomas stood here.


Libraries of monastery, church and school

The history of the libraries of the Monastery of St. Thomas, St. Thomas’s Church and the boarding school of St. Thomas’s is in the focus of the exhibition ‘Three times St. Thomas’, which will be shown from October 18, 2012 to January 20, 2013 at the University Library (Beethovenstraße 6). Among the exhibits are unique pieces representing the history of books from the Middle Ages until the 17th century.


Music published by St Thomas Boys’ Choir

The German Music Archive at the German National Library in Deutscher Platz 1 will also devote an exhibition to the choir’s anniversary. ‘Thomaner forever’ will highlight different forms of music publishing, using recordings of the Boys’ Choir as an example. The exhibition will run from November 3, 2012 to January 15, 2013.


On the 800th anniversary of St Thomas Boys’ Choir

The central exhibition to mark the 800th anniversary of St Thomas Boys’ Choir will be the special show entitled ‘Cantate! On the 800th anniversary of St Thomas Boys’ Choir’ at the Museum of City History (Böttchergässchen 3). The museum will present rare exhibits including a two-metre lectern from Naumburg Cathedral from the 14th century and the founding document of the Abbey of St. Thomas of March 20, 1212. On May 30 from 5 p.m., the museum invites on a tour through the exhibition.