Travel Guide Reformation related cities in Germany

Transcription

1 Travel Guide Reformation related cities in Germany 500 years after the reformation, it is natural that very few places in Germany connected to its events are still in the same form as they were in the 16th century. Still much can be gained for the modern Christian to walk the steps of Martin Luther and to visit places connected to him. Even though most of the following places now appear in the shape that they took due to renovations and reconstructions of the 19th and 20th century, they can still serve as places of inspiration and meditation for us and many museums and memorials there can help us to gain insight into the mind and times of Luther, which was far different than we often imagine. After all, Luther was both modern and medieval ; he was a wanderer between times. With 2017 being the anniversary of Luther's disobedience against the medieval church, we have concentrated the following pages on places directly connected to his life and the central events of his the Lutheran reformation. Thus places connected to the later Calvinistic, Anabaptistic and other radical protestants are not included in our descriptions as are places connected to the general history of Luther's time, especially the German Peasants War of and the Schmalkaldic War of , though both events had an important impact on the early reformation; for example Luther's changing stance towards the peasants has been a blemish on his reputation in Germany ever since. As our selection consist of cities that are quite spread out geographically, we have sorted them into the following three groups. I. The Imperial Diets Heidelberg, Speyer, Worms ( and Augsburg) Before the Imperial Diet, that is the regular gathering of the Reichsstände (Emperor, secular and ecclesiastical Princes and the Free Cities) of the Holy Roman Empire moved permanently to Ratisbonne in 1663, it was custom that they would gather at different Free Cities around the empire, usually cities that were rich and powerful enough to provide housing, nourishment and entertainment for the assembled dignitaries and their retinue. During the early reformation the theater for most important diets were either Augsburg, which was conveniently placed on one of the most important trading routes connecting Italy with Germany and Northern Europe, as well as the cities of Heidelberg, Worms and Speyer in what was then the western part of the Empire and close to the Burgundian (later Spanish) Netherlands, a territory then belonging to the imperial Habsburg family and a favorite abode of Emperor Charles V. (ruled ). This route will let you experience the places where most of the political reformation took place the direct confrontation between the Luther and the early Lutherans with the -1-

2 Emperor and those imperial estates that had decided not to join the reformation. II. The making of a Reformer Erfurt and Eisenach Besides being geographically close, both these towns share an important impact on Luther. In Erfurt he became a student and monk of the order Augustinian Eremites; his extensive theological studies in accordance with this strict mendicant order made Luther a professor of theology in Wittenberg and gave him the theological and linguistical capabilities without which he could not have started the reformation. On the other hand Eisenach and the ancient Wartburg castle overshadowing it mark the place where Luther in 1521/22 started his translation of the Greek New Testament into German an event which would change the reformation as well as the German language forever. III. Summus Finis: the quintessential Luther Leipzig, Wittenberg and Eisleben These three cities can be seen as the quintessential places in the life of Martin Luther. He was born in Eisleben in 1483 and retained strong connections with this town and its princes from the House of Mansfeld during all of his life, up until his death in the same town in In 1508, Luther was transferred by his order to then new Saxonian university in Wittenberg, a small town that would become his main place of living for 28 years. The contrast between the gigantic theological and sociological scope of the protestant reformation and the small and almost rural town is still impressive nowadays. Leipzig finally was the richest and most important city in Saxony at the time of Luther. It was here that the Leipziger Disputation took place in 1519, the central theological discussion between the reformers Luther, Philipp Melanchthon and Andreas Karlstadt with the catholic Bavarian theologian Johannes Eck from Ingolstadt. The Leipziger Disputation marks the irreversible break between catholic and protestant theology and may in hindsight be one of the most important events both in the life of Luther as well as in the history of the Reformation. -2-

3 I. The Imperial Diets Heidelberg, Speyer, Worms, (Augsburg) Though the Holy Roman Empire had been ruled by an Emperor ever since Charlemagne was crowned in 800, the actual power of these rulers had significantly waned by the 16th century. The high nobility of the Empire especially the seven Prince-electors, but also the other Princes, as well as the noble-born high clergy could effectively put a strong opposition against the Emperor as it was they who had to agree to new taxes and other imperial politics like declarations of war. To reach agreements on such matters, the Reichsstände (Princes, High Clergy and Free Imperial Cities) would regularly meet up with the Emperor and his envoys in the so-called Imperial Diets. Agreements were rare though, and usually involved the Emperor giving even more power to the Princes. The late medieval Emperors thus had to rely on the power base of their personally-ruled territories as well as on the support from the Free Imperial Cities, a network of semi-independent city-states who enjoyed imperial protection in exchange for loans and other support. The most powerful of them like Nuremberg, Augsburg or Magdeburg took also part of the imperial diets as Reichsstände, that is on the same level as the Princes and Prince-Bishops. Under the rule of Emperor Charles V., who ruled as emperor between 1519 and 1556, the Imperial Diets became hotbeds of the nascent reformation. Ultimately the Emperor who ruled almost absolute in the Spanish realms and governed an empire where the sun never settles - could never manage to quench the opposition of the protestant princes and cities due to those special German politics. For the history of the reformation, the most important Imperial Diets took place in the cities of Worms, Speyer and Augsburg. Apart from Augsburg, all these can be easily accessed by train in less than one hour from Heidelberg, a well-known tourist city -3-

4 <Heidelberg> Tourists from all over the world come to Heidelberg to see the beautiful scenery of the Neckar river and the Heidelberg castle. The city is also embedded in church history. In 1518, half a year after Luther posted the 95 theses in Wittenberg, he was given the opportunity to defend the theology of St. Augustine at a gathering of the Augustinian Order held in Heidelberg. Among those attending were Johannes Brenz ( ) and Martin Bucer ( ), who later became reformation leaders. Philipp Melanchthon ( ), Luther's most important collaborator, studied at University of Heidelberg in The Heidelberg Catechism, one of the most important catechisms for the reformed churches, was written mainly by Zacharias Ursinus ( ) and Caspar Olevianus ( ), who were both students of Melanchthon. The largest church in town, the Church of the Holy Sprit, was not only the central church building of Heidelberg, but also the center of university life in the town. Its huge galleries were specifically built for the university library, the famous Bibliotheca Palatina, which at the time of the reformation was one of the largest libraries in Europe (it was subsequently plundered and given as a gift to the Pope during the Thirty Years War). The church was used by both Protestants and Catholics between 1698 and 1934 simultaneously. It eventually became protestant. As Heidelberg station is a little distant from the old town, we recommend taking a bus to Heidelberg University, then walk from there to the Church of the Holy Spirit, and from there up to the Heidelberg castle and the site of the once famous palace gardens. There is the so-called Philosophenweg (Alley of Philosophers) on the opposite side of the river (north side), which offers a splendid view on the old town and the castle. Heidelberg University Grabengasse 1, Heidelberg

5 Church of the Holy Sprit (Heiliggeistkirche) Marktpl., Heidelberg Heidelberg castle Schlosshof 1, Heidelberg -5-

6 <Worms> The town of Worms at the Rhine river is one of the oldest settlements in Germany. At the time of Luther it was both a Free Imperial City and the seat of the Prince-Bishop of Worms, with the latter usually being the more powerful. In January 1521, Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Church. In April the same year, he was called to the Imperial Diet of Worms by Emperor Charles V. to present his theses and to await imperial judgment. It took him two weeks to reach Worms from Wittenberg. There, in front of the emperor, he stated that unless convinced by the testimony of the scriptures or evident reason, he would not take back his teachings. Martin's gate (Martinspforte) Luther arrived in Worms on April 16, Crowds gathered at the gate to see Luther at his arrival. His route continued along today's Kämmererstrasse to his lodgings at the Johanniterhof. Kämmererstraße 60, Worms Johanniterhof The Johanniterhof (which was the local establishment of the Knights Hospitaller) was the place where Luther stayed during the diet of Worms. The building itself no longer exists, but there is a plate showing the location. Hardtgasse, Worms

7 Bishop's palace (Bishofshof) Luther testified before the Emperor at the Bishop's palace to the northern side of the Cathedral. Today there is a park at the site of the building called Heylshofpark and a bronze relief commemorating the former Bishop's Palace. A modern monument in the park show the area where Luther took his stand. In German, important people are said to leave big shoes to be filled out upon death, so the monument (called fittingly Luthers Shoes ) sport huge empty bronze shoes. Stephansgasse 9, Worms St. Peter's Cathedral (Dom St. Peter) The cathedral of Worms dates back to Romanesque times and is counted among the three German Kaiserdome (Imperial Cathedrals) of the Middle Ages. We do not know if Luther entered the cathedral during his stay. As he was excommunicated, he was mainly banned from taking part in the Eucharist, but not explicitly from entering hallowed ground. Domplatz, Worms

8 St. Magnus church (Magnuskirche) The Magnuskirche became a protestant church from the early days of reformation. Dechaneigasse, Worms Worms city museum (Museum der Stadt Worms) The museum is presenting the history of the city of Worms from the Bronze Age to Modern times. The Luther room commemorates Luther, showing how Worms was like at that time. There is a map showing his paths during the diet of Worms. Weckerlingpl. 7, Worms Luther monument (Lutherdenkmal) Unveiled in 1868 according to designs by Ernst Rietschel ( ), it is the second largest monument to the reformation (the largest being the Geneva Reformation Monument). Apart from Luther statues and reliefs show other reformers like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, feature important events of the Reformation or are Allegories of the cities of Augsburg, Speyer and Magdeburg. Lutherring, Worms

9 <Speyer> Ancient Speyer on the river Rhine, which was already settled during roman times, was an important German town during the Middle Ages. At the time of Luther, it was the seat of the Prince Bishop of Speyer as well as a Free Imperial City. Two important imperial diets were held here in 1526 and Both were related to edict of Worms, which outlawed Luther and his teachings. It had been temporarily put on hold in 1526, but was again enforced in To this, a protest was made by most (but not all) of the Lutheran members of the diet -the origin of the term "Protestantism". Even though Speyer was not devastated during World War II like most other German towns and cities, it had already been thoroughly burned down and destroyed by French soldiers in 1689 during the Nine Years' War. Subsequently the town was deserted for nine years and never regained its former wealth or importance. Apart from Speyer Cathedral, almost no building in Speyer is older than this event. Speyer Cathedral (Dom zu Speyer) The cathedral of Speyer was build by the Salic emperors between 1025 and It is the largest extant Romanesque building in the world and one of the most magnificent churches ever built. Since 1981 it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Domplatz, Speyer -9-

10 Building of the Municipality of Speyer (Ratshof Speyer) Like all other Free Imperial Cities, the municipality of Speyer had to provide housing for imperial diets and stays of the Emperor. To this, the people of Speyer bought a suitable compound northwest of Speyer Cathedral and erected a set of buildings there to especially accommodate the emperor and his needs. The so-called Ratshof saw more than 50 imperial events during the 16th century. In 1530 it became the seat of the newly founded Reichskammergericht, one of the two highest imperial courts in Germany. After the French had burned down Speyer in 1689, the ruins of the Ratshof stood almost deserted for more than 100 years. In the 19th century, a school was erected at the site which later was converted to a cinema. Nowadays it houses a hotel (Hotel Domhof) and a home brewery (Hausbrauerei Domhof). The entrance arch of the hotel and a small relief above it are the main remnants of the old Ratshof. In the underground car park of the hotel, some foundations of the old buildings can still be seen. Bauhof 3, Speyer Retscher The Retscher (so called after the family who originally owned the building) is the ruin of a gothic city palace, originally built in the 13th century. During the 17th century it was the main Betsaal (meeting hall) for the protestants of Speyer. Like the rest of the city it was burned down in 1689 but later preserved as a ruin as the people then believed that it had been the site of the Imperial Diet of The new protestant church of Speyer was subsequently erected next to the ruin. Even though the Retscher is not the site of the Speyerer Protestation, the ruin can give an image of how the Ratshof had looked. Kleine Himmelsgasse Speyer Memorial Church (Gedächtniskirche der Protestation) In 1883 it was decided by protestants in Speyer to build a memorial church to commemorate the Speyerer Protestation of Subsequently money was collected in all of Germany and Europe among protestants. The church itself was built between 1893 and With 100 meter its tower is the biggest tower in Speyer and one of the biggest west of the river Rhine. The precious interior of the church is a rare example of German late-19th century art, it includes monuments for Luther and other reformers and especially a complete set of stained glass windows. Bartholomäus-Weltz-Platz 5, Speyer

11 <Augsburg> Though geographically far from the cities mentioned, we would like to mention Augsburg, where important events in Reformation history took place. From Munich, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Augsburg by train. Augsburg is one of the oldest cities in Germany, being founded in the year 15 BC by Emperor Augustus. At the time of the Reformation it was probably the most powerful Free Imperial City in Germany and home to some of the richest people who ever lived. St. Anna church (Kirche St. Anna) St. Anna was the church and monastery of the Carmelite order in Augsburg. During the imperial diet of Augsburg in 1518 Luther had first stayed at the monastery of his own order of the Augustinian Eremites, but later he moved here as he was friends with the Prior of St. Anna, Johannes Frosch (c c. 1533). Frosch, who later became a reformer himself, sheltered Luther and accompanied him to his hearing. Since 1525 St. Anna has been a protestant church with the exception of the burial chapel of the Fugger family, which to this day remains a catholic property. The former monastery served for many centuries as a public school and the site of the famous city library. Today St. Anna is the main seat of the protestant church in Augsburg. In the rooms of the former monastery it sports a large exhibition of the Reformation. It is a must see for protestants in Augsburg, so please make sure it is open when you make a visit. Im Annahof 2, Augsburg

12 City Hall (Rathaus) At the time of Luther the city hall comprised of a number of representative yet still medieval buildings. A model of that complex can still be seen at the city museum of Augsburg (Maximiliansmuseum). It was at that city hall buildings that the Augsburg Confession was read at imperial diet of The Augsburg Confession became subsequently the primary confession of the Lutherans. It is also the place where the Augsburg Settlement was signed in 1555, which was the first official peace treaty to acknowledge the Lutherans as a legitimate religion of its own. The current building of the Augsburg City Hall was erected between 1615 and Its separate belfry (the Perlachturm) was built in The city hall is generally viewed as the most important secular Renaissance building in Germany. Its reconstructed Golden Hall is well worth a visit. In the accompanying cabinets there is an exhibition of gifts from Augsburg's partner cities which include the Japanese cities of Amagasaki and Nagahama. Rathausplatz 2, Augsburg

13 Fugger Houses (Fuggerhäuser) The vast complex originally the biggest secular structure in Augburg served and still serves as the main seat of the Fugger family and the headquarters of the private Fugger Bank. Due to heavy destruction during the Second World War, only few historical rooms (the so called Badstuben, which are open to the public only with a booked tour) and one of the courtyards (accessible via the bookstore) can give a glimpse of the former grandeur of the site. During the Imperial Diet of 1518 the Fuggerhäuser served as the residence of major dignitaries including the papal envoy Cardinal Thomas Cajetan ( ) He interrogated Luther in his lodgings on October 12th-14th. During later Imperial Diets or other visits to Augsburg, the Emperor would usually lodge in the Fuggerhäuser. The Fugger family was closely connected to the start of the reformation. Though the indulgences collected by Johann Tetzel ( ) and others were officially collected to raise money for the erection of St. Peter in Rome, most of the money was used to pay back debts that Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg ( ) had accumulated with the Fuggers, Luther himself had a deep aversion against the Fuggers and other moneylenders of his time and attacked them by name in his writings. Maximilianstraße 36-38, Augsburg The abbey church of St. Ulrich and St. Afra (St. Ulrich und Afra) The Augsburg settlement of 1555 gave the various Princes of the Holy Roman Empire the right to decide on the religion of their subjects. As a result, people in territories had to be either catholic or Lutheran according to the whim of their overlord. In the case of the Free Imperial Cities, most chose to convert to Lutheran Protestantism. Augsburg was one of very few exceptions to this. The City at that time was divided into three separate entities: the predominantly protestant Free City, the catholic Augsburg of the Prince-Bishop and the catholic quarter of the Abbey of St. Ulrich and St. Afra. Founded around the year 1000, the abbey was the most powerful religious institution in Augsburg apart from the Prince-Bishop and the cathedral chapter. After a number of conflicts, the ruling families of Augsburg decided not to enforce one religion on their citizens and they therefore left it open to them whether they wanted to be catholic or Lutheran. The most powerful symbol for this became the ensemble of the catholic abbey church of St. Ulrich and St. Afra with a smaller Lutheran church built next to it a combination impossible almost anywhere else in Europe until the late 19th century. The coloring of the churches white with grey elements for the catholic church, grey with white elements for -13-

14 the Lutheran church - emphasis that in the end both denominations pray to the same God. Ulrichspl. 20, Augsburg [Chronology] 1518 Triennial gathering of the Augustinian order at Heidelberg 1518 Imperial diet of Augsburg. Hearing of Luther by cardinal Cajetan in the Fugger Houses 1521 Imperial diet of Worms, Luther outlawed by the Edict of Worms. On his way back to Wittenberg, Luther was taken to the Wartburg in Eisenach 1526 Imperial diet of Speyer, edict of Worms temporarily suspended 1529 Imperial diet of Speyer, edict of Worms again enforced, formal protest by most of the Lutheran Princes and Free Cities 1530 Augsburg confession of faith read at the imperial diet of Augsburg 1555 Augsburg Settlement -14-

15 II. The making of a Reformer Erfurt and Eisenach The neighboring cities of Erfurt and Eisenach geographically lead to the concentrated essence of Martin Luther. He attended school in Eisenach, studied in Erfurt where he became a monk and a gifted theologian. Later he would spent a crucial time at Wartburg castle upon Eisenach where he translated the New Testament into German a feat without whom the whole reformation would never have been as successful as it was. <Eisenach> In 1498, when he was fifteen, Luther was sent by his parents to Eisenach in order to attend a preparatory school for Latin. This was mandatory as at that time Latin was the international language exclusively spoken and written at all European universities as well as in church. He first lived in the dormitory of St. Georg church, but later moved as a private lodger into the house of the widow Cotta. Luther's father wanted him to study law, not theology. Still it is said that at that time he was already influenced by the local Franciscan monks. Parts of his later theology certainly owe to a certain Franciscan influence. When Luther was summoned to the Imperial Diet of Worms in 1521, he came to Eisenach on his way to Worms and preached there. On his way back to Wittenberg, he again stayed in the town to preach. After he had left Eisenach, he was abducted on order of the Prince-Elector of Saxony and taken to the Wartburg castle, where he translated the New Testament into German. -15-

16 St. George's church (Georgenkirche) While Luther stayed in Eisenach between he was the member of the choir here. In 1521, during April and May, on his ways to Worms and back, he preached here. The Latin school he attended was originally located south of the church. In 1544, following advice by Luther himself, it was moved into the abandoned building of the Dominican monastery of Eisenach. As a High School (Martin-Luther-Gymnasium) it is still operating there today. Marktgasse, Eisenach

17 Luther House (Lutherhaus) According to local tradition, this house, which belonged to the wealthy local Cotta, was where Luther stayed for a while during his years in Eisenach. Since 1956 the building one of the oldest timbered houses in Thuringia houses a museum on Luther with special emphasis on his stay in Eisenach and especially his bible translation. The exhibition explains how the Luther Bible influenced the German language and culture. The exhibits include paintings from the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ). Lutherpl. 8, Eisenach Wartburg Castle (Die Wartburg) Rising up above Eisenach is the Wartburg castle. During the Middle Ages, the Wartburg was the main holding of the Landgraves of Thuringia and the center of their fiefdom. The palace building of the Wartburg, built between 1157 and 1170, is the largest and best preserved non-ecclesiastical Romanesque building north of the Alps. Apart from Luther, the Wartburg is connected to people like St. Elisabeth (who lived here as Landgravine between 1211 and 1227), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or the Wartburg festival of 1817, widely considered to be one of the founding moments of German unification and democracy. It is also the location of the (legendary) Minstrel s War (Sängerkrieg) in which the most important poets and minstrels of the Middle Ages are said to have competed in Since 1999 it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. In 1521, Frederick the Wise, Prince-Elector of Saxony, instructed his men to capture Luther, who was outlawed by the Edict of Worms, and to bring him secretly to Wartburg castle. At that time the Wartburg was no longer the seat of a noble family but just a local administration centre with only few inhabitants. -17-

18 After his arrival at the castle Luther assumed the alias of Junker Jörg (that is Sir George ) and accepted rather Spartan lodgings in the first castle courtyard. Here he translated the New Testament from Greek to German. The room where he did the translation according to tradition, called 'Lutherstube', can be visited. Also shown here are famous paintings by Lukas Cranach the Elder. Until November 2017 the Wartburg castle hosts a central special exhibition on the subject of Luther and the reformation. The original Lutherstube and other rooms are included in this exhibition and share a common attendance fee. For the exhibition itself, audio guides in German and English are available, while there are Japanese, Korean, English and other audio guides available for the castle itself. Auf der Wartburg 1, Eisenach

19 <Erfurt> After Luther finished his preparatory lessons in Eisenach in 1501, he moved to Erfurt to begin his studies at the local university. At that time Erfurt belonged to the territory of the Prince-Archbishop of Mainz, the most important and most powerful clerical Princedom in Germany. In 1505, after having finished the common first part of medieval university studies, he started studying law as his father wished. Shortly afterwards he was surprised by a severe storm on July 2nd 1505 while he was travelling back to Erfurt after a trip to his parents home in Mansfeld. Out of fear from the lightning bolts he made a solemn vow to Saint Anna to become a monk. Against the will of his parents he joined the order of the Augustinian Eremites in Erfurt on July 17th, an order known for its strictness and adherence to a simple lifestyle. He continued to study as a monk, changing the subject from law to theology. He would stay in the Erfurt monastery of his order until his travel to Rome and subsequent transfer to Wittenberg in Former University of Erfurt (Collegium maius) The main building of the medieval university of Erfurt is already the third building on this site. The building where Luther studied was destroyed during riots in Summer It was rebuilt between in a late gothic style. This building was destroyed during the Second World War. The current building, a reconstruction of the second one, was erected between 1998 and The building is now housing the central offices of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany. Michaelisstraße 39, Erfurt

20 St. Michael's church (Michaeliskirche) After the founding of Erfurt university in 1392, St. Michael became the official university church. As it was customary for medieval university, the church also served as a meeting point and was used for lectures. While he was a student, Luther would regularly attend service here. As the spiritual center of Erfurt university, St. Michael played an important role during the reformation in Erfurt. Protestant sermons were held here starting in Luther himself preached at Michaeliskirche in Michaelisstraße 10, Erfurt St. George's Hostel (Georgenburse) At medieval universities it was custom that students would live together in Bursen. Life there was simple. It bore a strong similarity to the life of monks. Each Burse would be led by a Prior and the students had to follow strict rules. For example, the use of German was forbidden, the students had to use Latin for communication. The Georgenburse was the main student venue in Erfurt at the time of Luther. He lived here between 1501 and his entry into the Augustinian monastery in Originally the Burse consisted on a larger number of buildings, but except one minor building these were destroyed by allied bombing in February The surviving building now serves as an hostel for protestant and other Christian pilgrims. A small museum informs about Luther s life as a student. It can only be visited by booking a guided tour at the Augustinerkloster. Augustinerstraße 27, Erfurt

21 Monastery of the Augustinian Eremites (Augustinerkloster) Following his vow on July 2nd 1505, Luther became a monk at this monastery on July 17th of the same year. He would stay as a monk at the Erfurt monastery until During this time he tried to excel as a monk, living a life of Ora et Labora - praying and practical work. He also studied theology, becoming an ordained priest in After his ordination Luther read his first mass in the monastery church on May 2nd, He was probably sent to Rome as an envoy of his monastery in either 1510 or early 1511 before being transferred to Wittenberg in order to teach theology there. He would still regularly visit the Erfurt monastery, though. In 1521, while on his way to the Imperial Diet of Worms, Luther preached at the monastery church to an overflowing crowd. The buildings of the monastery were erected from 1277 onwards. After the dissolution of the monastery in 1559 they were used as a High School by the city of Erfurt. In the 19th century and during the 1930s the buildings were reconstructed and partly rebuilt to appear as they might have been at the time of Luther. Part of the complex was destroyed during the Second World War, notably the library building, resulting in the loss of many books (including some dating back to Luther s time). 267 women and children who had sought shelter there were killed. A small modern chapel ( Room of Silence ) is now dedicated to them, sporting a Cross of Nails from the Cathedral of Coventry. The destroyed parts were only recently rebuilt in a modern style. Luther's former monastery is now serving as a Christian hostel and conference centre. His former monks cell, the cloister and other historical parts of the monastery can be visited with a German guided tour. English-language tour can be individually booked for groups of ten people or more. There is also a small exhibition on Luther's life at the monastery which can be visited without joining a tour. The former monastery church features four precious medieval stained glass windows dating back to the 14th century. One of them shows a white rose of five petals as a sign of the Virgin Mary mother of Jesus. This rose must have impressed Luther who based his personal seal (the Lutherrose ) on this depiction. Augustinerstraße 10, Erfurt

22 St. Mary's Cathedral (Hohe Domkirche St. Marien zu Erfurt) This church is probably the most important religious church building in Erfurt. Together with the neighbouring Severikirche it serves as one of the dominating sights of the city and its landmark. Erfurt was only the seat of a bishop during the 8th century a tradition that was revived by the Roman Catholic church only in 1994 when a new bishopric was established here. During the Middle Ages and during the time of Luther, the cathedral served as the collegiate church of a college of canons, basically priests who lived after the fashion of monks without taking the special monastical vows. Even though the city of Erfurt became formally protestant in 1577, the Prince-Archbishop of Mainz continued to rule over the city until 1802 when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. The catholic Prince-Archibishops didn t have the power to forcibly convert the citizens of Erfurt back to catholic faith, but their influence ensured the survival of the catholic collegiate churches and a few monasteries in the city. As it was usual at the time of the reformation, the cathedral building was not only used as a place of worship, but also as a general meeting point and a lecture hall for university. Thus Luther literally studied theology here. It was also at St. Mary s that he was ordained as a priest on Good Friday He later held his first lecture here in Among the many works of art in this church special attention should be given to the Wolframleuchter, a large bronze candleholder dating from around 1160, which is one of the oldest extant bronze sculptures in all of Germany, the magnificent stained glass windows in the choir and the choir stalls, which have all been seen by Luther as well. Domstufen 1, Erfurt Merchant's Church (Kaufmannskirche) This church was one of the first in Erfurt where protestant services were held. On -22-

23 October 22nd, 1522, Luther preached here, and spoke out against the pope as the mediator between God and humanity. A memorial to Luther is set next to the church on the enclosing wall. Am Anger, Erfurt [Relevant chronology of Luther] 1498 Began preparatory studies in Eisenach Studied philosophy and law in Erfurt 1505 July Enters Augustinian monastery 1507 April Ordained a priest 1511 April Returned to Erfurt from journey to Rome, is transferred to Wittenberg 1521 May On his way to Wittenberg from Worms, Luther is taken to Wartburg castle in Eisenach, and translated the New Testament there. In the same month the edict of Worms is issued September German New Testament is published -23-

24 III. Summus Finis: the quintessential Luther Leipzig, Wittenberg and Eisleben The final part of this guide describes the three quintessential Luther cities: Eisleben where he was born and where he died; Wittenberg, which was the centre of Luther's life for more than 30 years and finally Leipzig, where his disputation with Johannes Eck marked the irreversible break with the teachings of the Old Church. All three cities lie relatively close to each other. Leipzig has an airport, and is well-connected by train to other cities. From Leipzig s central station, Wittenberg can be reached in less than an hour by train (40 minutes with express), and Eisleben in about 1.5 hours. <Leipzig> At the time of Luther, Leipzig was already the richest and economically most important city in the princedoms of Saxony. Only around 60 years after Gutenberg had invented mechanical movable type printing in the 1450s, Leipzig also had itself established as one of the most important centres of Printing and Book-making in Germany. Luther visited Leipzig several times, but his most important stay there was in 1519 for the Leipzig Debate (Leipziger Disputation). At the time of Luther, a formal debate or disputatio was a common way to formally discuss and settle disputes at an university, not only on the subject of theology, but also in law, medicine and other sciences. The Leipzig Debate had started in June 1519 when Johannes Eck ( ), a theologian, priest, and professor of theology at Ingolstadt university challenged Andreas Karlstadt ( ) to a disputatio on the theological subjects of Free Will and the Grace of God. Uncommon for that time the debate did not take place at Leipzig university, but in the Pleissenburg castle of the Saxonian dukes and in presence of Duke George of Saxony ( ), who strongly opposed the reformation. The debate between Eck and Karlstadt began on June 27th. The tall and portly Eck, who was generally seen as one of the most prominent orators of his time, managed to rhetorically outsmart and compromise Karlstadt at first, whereupon a still slim and ascetic Luther himself entered the disputatio after July 4th. The discussion now turned to a variety of subjects, encompassing all the central subjects of the reformation. Unlike Karlstadt Luther could not be rhetorically defeated by Eck, but he did make the mistake of declaring some of Jan Hus ( ) to be just. As Hus had been burned as a heretic in 1415, this was already seen by contemporaries as a irreversible breach with the Roman church. On July 15th the disputatio was formally ended with both sides declaring themselves to be victors. For Eck it was clear that he had proven Luther and the reformers to be heretics, while Luther and his side declared that Eck didn t and couldn't defeat them on the basis of the scriptures. Still Luther retained strong resentments against Eck, usually calling him Doktor Sau (Doctor Sod) or contracting Dr. [Doctor] Eck to Dreck (modern meaning: dirt, meaning at the time of Luther: excrements). -24-

25 Leipzig Historical Museum, Old city hall (Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig, Altes Rathaus) The old city hall of Leipzig was originally built between 1300 and The current building is still the same as at the time of Luther, though the building was heavily altered in 1556/57, making it one of the last and one of the grandest secular renaissance buildings in Germany. Since 1909 it serves as the historical museum of the city. The permanent exhibition puts special emphasis to the media revolution that was printing and how the printing industry in Leipzig played its important role during the Reformation. Since April 2017 the museum sports a special exhibition on the Leipzig Debate and its consequences. Markt 1, Leipzig Church of St. Thomas (Thomaskirche) The Thomaskirche is traditionally one of the two main churches of Leipzig (the other one being the Nicolaikirche). The current building was mainly erected in the 15th century and consecrated in From 1723 until his death 1750 Johann Sebastian Bach worked as head of music ( Thomaskantor ) at this church. Since 1950 he is also buried here. At Pentecost 1539 Luther and Justus Jonas ( ) preached at Nicolaikirche and Thomaskirche, thus introducing the reformation to the city. A bronze memorial plate remembers this event. Thomaskirchhof 18, Leipzig

26 Church of St. Nicholas (Nikolaikirche) The Nicolaikirche is traditionally one of the two main churches of Leipzig (the other one being the Thomaskirche). Originally building started in 1165, but today's church was mainly built during the 15th and 16th century. Between 1784 and 1797 the interior of the Nikolaikirche was renewed in a then modern, neoclassicist style. The reshaping of the pillars into palm trees was meant to conjure the image of a primitive hut - a reminder to go back to the foundations of faith as laid down in the bible. On May 25th, 1539, after Duke George of Saxony (a staunch opponent of the reformation) had died, Luther and his fellow reformer Justus Jonas preached at the Nikolaikirche and Thomaskirche, thus formally starting the process of the reformation in Leipzig. The pulpit from which Luther is said to have preached can still be seen in the northern chapel. Nikolaikirchhof 3, Leipzig Fregehaus This merchant s house was originally erected by one of the richest families in Leipzig at the start of the 16th century. It was greatly altered in baroque style between 1706 and Its current name comes from the Frege family who owned it between 1782 and It is now used by shops, a hotel and a foundation. In the courtyard of the building, which is open to the public, a stone relief from 1535 mocking Luther can be seen. It shows busts of Pope and Emperor triumphing above a fallen bust of Luther. It should be noted that, maybe as a mark of protestant sympathy by the artist, only Luther's face is smiling. Katharinenstraße 11, Leipzig New city hall (Neues Rathaus) The modern New city hall, erected between 1899 and 1905, marks the site where originally the Pleißenburg had stood as the Leipzig residence of the Dukes of Saxony since the 13th century. The building that Luther had seen and where the Leipzig Debate had taken place was quite different from today, as the Pleißenburg was then a roughly triangular castle fortress in front of the Leipzig city wall and surrounded by a deep moat. It was also here in the castle chapel that Luther held the first Lutheran service in Leipzig on the Saturday before Pentecost During the Schmalkaldic War of imperial troops heavily damaged this building and it was rebuilt as a pure fortress in Ironically in 1697 it was also the site of the first catholic service in Leipzig since the introduction of the -26-

27 reformation. After much neglect it was torn down in 1897 except for the lower stores of the central tower, which form the only surviving part of the original Pleißenburg. A Memorial from 2017 remembers the Leipzig Debate. Martin-Luther-Ring 4, Leipzig

28 <Lutherstadt Eisleben> The town of Eisleben had been the economical centre of the Duchy of Mansfeld since it was given to the House of Mansfeld in The duchy was one of many reichsunmittelbaren territories of the Holy Roman Empire (which at the end of the 18th century would comprise of more than 350 self-governed territories), but though it was small, it was rich due to copper mining and other economical endeavours. Following several severe fires and the bankruptcy of the House of Mansfeld, Eisleben became part of Saxony in 1570 and was annexed by Prussia in Since 1946 Eisleben is officially called Lutherstadt Eisleben to commemorate the most famous son of the town. It was Eisleben where Luther was born and baptised in Throughout his life he would retain close contacts to several scions of the House of Mansfeld and thus regularly come to Eisleben. In January 1546 he travelled to Eisleben to mediate in a conflict between various members of the House of Mansfeld. Already suffering from a weak heart, he died in Eisleben on February 18th Martin Luther's Birth House (Martin Luthers Geburtshaus) Luthers parents came to Eisleben in summer His father, Hans Luder ( ) had decided to leave the farm of his parents (which he, as he wasn t the first-born, could not inherit) and move to the town Mansfeld to pursue a career as merchant and foreman of a copper smelter. Probably because of the pregnancy of his wife Margarethe ( ) they lodged in Eisleben for a few weeks. Martin Luther was born on the site of the Birth House on November 10th, He was then baptised in the nearby Petri-Pauli church. In early 1484 the family would continue their travel to Mansfeld. Even though Luther had only spent a few weeks or months in Eisleben after his birth, the memory of birthplace never waned and already in the 16th century travelers would come to Eisleben to see it. Thus when in 1689 a fire destroyed a number of houses in the town including the Birth House, it was rebuild by the town of Eisleben specifically as a memorial place and one of the earliest museum buildings in Germany. A painting that had survived the fire was used as proof to suggest that the new building was the same as the old one, where in fact the new memorial building was very different from the original place. The building of 1693 was enlarged in the 19th century and again between 2005 and The complex now hosts an exhibition on Luther, his parents and his time. Since 1996 the Birth House is inscripted on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage program. -28-

29 Lutherstraße 15, Lutherstadt Eisleben Petri-Pauli Parish Church (St. Petri-Pauli-Kirche) Only a short distance from the Birth House lies the Petri-Pauli Parish Church, which was built in several steps between the 15th century and On November 11th,1483 (the Feast Day of Saint Martin) Luther was baptised here. The original baptismal font has been reworked since then, but according to its inscription the current baptistery still contains part of the original one. Since 2012 the church is used as a central baptistery for Eisleben, containing a large modern font. Petrikirchpl. 23, Lutherstadt Eisleben

30 Martin Luther's Death House (Museum Luthers Sterbehaus) Martin Luther died in Eisleben on February 18th, He had come to the town to negotiate in a dispute between Duke Albrecht von Mansfeld and Barthel Drachstedt, the son of Philipp Drachstedt (d. 1539), a friend of his. There were also disputes between Albrecht and other members of the House of Mansfeld which he wanted to solve. He did solve the dispute between Drachstedt and Duke Albrecht, but died afterwards in the house of Barthel Drachstedt, which was where now the building of the hotel Graf von Mansfeld stands (Markt 56). Unlike his birthplace, the exact location of the Death House of Luther faded into obscurity until this house built after a fire in 1498 was assumed to be the right one as it had also been in the possession of the Drachstedt family and as it is located in the vicinity of St. Andrew s Church where Luther had held his final sermons. In 1863 the house was bought from private owners by the Kingdom of Prussia. It was heavily renovated and opened as a memorial and museum. After being enlarged by a modern annex, the museum was reopened again in Like the Birth House the Death House is inscripted on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage program since Andreaskirchpl. 7, Lutherstadt Eisleben St. Andrew's Church (St. Andreaskirche) February 1546 Luther gave his last four sermons here. The pulpit he used has been renovated and can be seen in the church. He also did his final ordination of a pastor here. The church also contains a number of tombs and epitaphs for various Dukes of Mansfeld, including several that were connected to Luther. After his death, his body laid here in state until it was brought to Wittenberg for burial. -30-

31 Andreaskirchpl., Lutherstadt Eisleben

32 <Lutherstadt Wittenberg> Probably no other city in the world is as closely connected to the German Reformation as Wittenberg. Wittenberg came first into prominence as the seat of several members of the House of Ascania on which in 1180 the title of Dukes of Saxony had been transferred. Between 1260 and 1422 it was the main residence of the Dukes and Prince-Electors of Ascania-Wittenberg. But it lost its status in 1423 when after the extinction of the house Wittenberg and its territory was inherited by the Margraves of Meißen. Only when in 1485 the territory of Saxony was split between the Ernestine and the Albertine line of the House of Wettin, Wittenberg came into prominence again. It flourished as Prince-Elector Frederick III "the Wise" decided to make the town one of his residences. In 1490 he started to build a new palace and palace church there and as his part of Saxony no longer had a university of its own, he founded the Leucorea university of Wittenberg in To support his university with suitable teachers for theology, the Prince-Elector (who as a deeply pious man of his time owned more than relics) called for monks of the Augustinian Eremites, who in 1503 started to built their monastery building on the outskirts of Wittenberg. In the following years monks from the order would come to Wittenberg both to study and to teach theology. Luther first came to Wittenberg in 1508, to hold a winter seminar at the university. In 1511, he was permanently transferred to Wittenberg, reached the doctor s degree and in the following year became professor of theology and began preaching in St. Mary Church. In 1514 he also became the district vicar of his Augustinian order. With the posting of the 95 Theses in 1517, the city became the center of the Reformation. During the 17th and 18th century Wittenberg retained its status as one of the most important places for protestant theology, but it did slide into decline after the Seven-Years-War. In 1815 Wittenberg became part of Prussia and the Leucorea university was subsequently abolished in favor of Halle university. Wittenberg became a small provincial town which largely lived off on the interest in Luther, Melanchthon and the Reformation. On the eve of the 500th anniversary of 1517, Wittenberg still is the central place of pilgrimage of the Reformation. Luther House (Augusteum und Lutherhaus Wittenberg) After the Leucorea university had been founded in 1502, Prince-Elector Frederick III called on the Augustinian Eremites of Saxony to come to Wittenberg in order to establish a new monastery there and to take care of the theological studies at his new university. The building then called the Black Monastery because of the black habit of the Augustinian monks - was commenced in 1504 and still wasn t finished when Luther came to Wittenberg in He then became a doctor of theology and a professor at Leucorea university in After the start of the reformation, Luther continued to live in the building, even after the monastery was formally abandoned in In 1524 it was granted to Luther by the -32-

33 Prince-Elector. He would live here until his death with his wife, children and numerous other people students as well as travelers or monks and nuns who had fled their monasteries. A fled nun was also Katharina von Bora ( ) who would marry Luther in 1525 and would become the mother of his six children. During his marriage Katharina Lutherin took care of all economical aspects of Luther's life, transforming parts of the former monastery into a student dorm and administering farming, livestock farming and a brewery on the vast grounds of the former monastery. As the most prominent head of the Reformation, Luther received numerous visits from all over Europe. He was especially fond of having guests for dinner his famous Tischreden (table talks) were written down by his students and admirers. After Luther s death in 1546, his family at first continued to live here before selling the precincts to Leucorea university in In the following years and centuries the building was much altered, starting with the characteristic staircase tower which is now its most striking exterior feature. During the 18th century an annex to the building was removed, thus accidentally destroying the site of the former monks cell of Luther, where in a way he had found the key to his theology and thus to the reformation. During all this time, though, the Lutherstube (Luther s central living room) had been altered, but always preserved as a memorial to him. After having been used as a hospital and a school in the 18th and early 19th century, the building was finally restored in The museum in the Luther House was first opened in It is by now the largest museum on reformation history in the world. Collegienstraße 54, Lutherstadt Wittenberg

34 Luther Oak (Luthereiche) A few steps east of the Luther House a massive oak with a small fountain and a bench marks the place where on December 10th 1520 Luther publicly burned the papal bull Exsurge Domine which threatened him with excommunication, as well as printed books of Canonical Law. Already at that time this act was seen as the public breach of Luther with the Roman Church (though actually he had already done that with the Leipzig Debate of 1519). The original oak was cut down by French soldiers in 1813; the current oak dates from Many places in Germany sport their own Luther oak, almost all of them being saplings of this one. The notion of the oak being the German national tree (as opposed to the lime tree which was seen as the German tree in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern times) is in part based on the Luther Oak. Am Hauptbahnhof 2, Lutherstadt Wittenberg Melanchthon House (Melanchthonhaus) Philipp Melanchthon ( ) was Luther s most important collaborator. As the main author of the Confessio Augustana (Augsburg Confession), especially in Germany he is considered of being of equal importance to the Reformation and Protestantism as Luther himself. Already during his lifetime he was called the Praeceptor Germaniae (the teacher of Germany). The universally educated Melanchthon came to Wittenberg in 1518 in order to become professor for Greek. Even though he was a small man (measuring only around 1,50 meters) and had a slight speech impediment, he quickly became one of the most important teachers at the Leucorea university. Luther would affectionately call him Graeculus (the little Greek). In 1520 Melanchthon married on the insistence of Luther. He had four children, but lived in very simple conditions, almost in poverty. As many universities in Europe were interested in Melanchthon, the Prince-Elector of Saxony finally decided to build a house for Melanchthon as a gift to keep him attached to Wittenberg. Building in the style of the Italian Renaissance started in 1536 and was finished in Melanchthon and his family would live here until his death in Though it was later used by the Leucorea university, it is nowadays the most authentic reformation building in Wittenberg. It has been used as a memorial and museum on the life of Melanchthon since Collegienstraße 60, Lutherstadt Wittenberg

35 Town and Parish Church of St. Mary's (Stadt- und Pfarrkirche St. Marien) The Town Church is the oldest still existing building in Wittenberg, its choir having been erected around 1280, while the current nave dates from On the southern facade of the building can be found the medieval relief of a Judensau (Jews sow), a remnant of early anti-semitism. As the Parish Church of Wittenberg, Luther would often hold sermons here. During the Reformation, it became the Mother Church of the Reformation. At christmas 1521 Andreas Karlstadt ( ) and Justus Jonas the Elder ( ) held the first German-language service as well as the first Lutheran Lord s Supper here while wearing the simple black robes of scholars, thus forming the basis of Lutheran service today. In February 1522 most of the altars and interior works of art were destroyed by a mob led by Andreas Karlstadt. Called by the Prince-Elector of Saxony, Luther returned to Wittenberg from his captivity on Wartburg castle and held his famous Invocavit -sermons against such acts of destructions in this church in March The current main altar was painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ) and his son Lucas Cranach the Younger ( ). It was completed in 1547 and programmatically shows the concepts as well as some of the protagonists of the reformation. Many other elements of the church date from the 19th century. Kirchpl. 12, Lutherstadt Wittenberg

36 Cranach Houses (Cranachhöfe) Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ), who had become court painter of the Prince-Elector of Saxony in Wittenberg in 1505, later owned several houses in Wittenberg, which were used as student dorms, or a pharmacy as well as the site of his painting and printing workshops. Two of them (in Markt 4 and Schlossstraße 1) are today maintained by the city as exhibition halls. The house Markt 4 is probably both the birth house of his son Lucas Cranach the Younger ( ) and the site where Luther s german translation of the New Testament was first printed in September The building at Schlossstraße 1 served as the painting workshop of Cranach, where most of his reformatory paintings were created. Since 2005 a bronze statue of Cranach the Elder remembers him in the courtyard of Schlossstraße 1. Markt 4, Lutherstadt Wittenberg All Saints' Church (Schlosskirche) The Castle Church of Wittenberg was built alongside the new residence of the Prince -Electors of Saxony between 1489 and 1509 for Prince-Elector Frederick III. the Wise ( ). The biggest church in Wittenberg, it was consecrated to All Saints with an unfinished vault in Since 1507 it was used as university church and auditorium for the new Leucorea university. According to legend, on the evening before All Saints Day 1517 Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the main church door which also served as a message board for the university at that time. Probably the hammer blows that started the reformation never occurred that way or on that date. Still, ever since 1667, October 31st serves as the main remembrance day for the reformation. Frederick III., Luther and Melanchthon were all buried in the church after their death. The church was burned down during the Seven-Years-War in 1760, including the original door. The church was provisionary restored afterwards. A new bronze door with the text of the 95 theses was installed in 1858, the gift of Prussian king Frederick William IV. ( ). Between 1885 and 1892 the church was restored as a memorial to the reformation by the protestant federal states of the German Empire. -36-

37 Schlosspl. 1, Lutherstadt Wittenberg [Relevant chronology of Luther] 1483 November Born in Eisleben 1511 April Transferred to Wittenberg 1512 October Becomes doctor of theology 1517 October 95 Theses 1518 August Melanchthon arrives in Wittenberg 1519 July Leipzig Debate 1521 January Pope Leo X. excommunicates Luther 1521 May Arrives at Wartburg 1522 May Leaves Wartburg and returns to Wittenberg 1522 September German New Testament published in Wittenberg 1525 June Marries Katharine of Bora 1534 Complete German Bible published in Wittenberg 1546 February Dies in Eisleben -37-