Living with Martin Luther (Wittenberg, Germany)

Tweet

When Martin Luther hammered his 95 Theses into the wooden door of a humble church of a small German town in 1517, Luther started the Protestant Reformation and altered European and Christian religious history forever. Almost 500 years later, the travel wonder of Wittenberg continues to thrive on the legacy of Martin Luther. Small plaques litter the town marking aspects of Luther’s life which is strung out along one long main street that changes name from Schlossstrasse to Collegienstrasse at the elegant town square.

Luther was an extraordinary man. Risking death and ex-communication from the church, Luther opposed the idea that people could buy their way from God’s punishment of sin. This challenging the authority of the pope himself who was raising money for rebuilding St Peters in Rome by selling indulgences. Luther also published a German translation of the Bible (while hidden in Wartburg Castle) providing the foundation of the modern German language and making it accessible to the general population rather than the educated few who spoke Latin.

Though its wooden doors have long since perished in a fire, Castle Church stands proudly off Wittenberg’s square, bronze doors inscribed with Luther’s theses (in Latin) commemorating this challenge to church power.

Nearby is Luther’s house, once a monastery and now a museum full of historic documents including original prayer and hymn books (with hand-drawn illustrations) and many of his authored works. The rooms include a lecture theatre where he taught, the main living room (with a superb tiled stove), Luther’s original desk and a number of personal possessions.

The two other main characters in the Reformation from Wittenberg were Cranach the Elder, a significant painter of his times (and the city’s mayor) and Philipp Melanchthon, a highly educated teacher, philosopher and moralist. Melanchthon spent time trying to encourage the more practical education of the youth of the day by not limiting classes to Latin (and extending education to more people). It was visionary thinking for the early 1500s. Melanchthon assisted Luther in his translation of the Bible. Both people have their fine houses on display as museums with fine collections detailing their lives. A superb early printing press that still functions sits in Cranach’s house. In a nice symmetry, all three are buried in Castle Church and two have statues in the main square.

The main church of St Mary's sits on the main square and is where Luther was married and where he did most of his preaching. Most stunning is the main altar painting (by Cranach) of the Last Supper including both Luther and Melanchthon.

Wittenberg is a day trip from Berlin and a wonderful journey back through one of the most significant historic periods in Europe. The work and thoughts of Martin Luther permeate every building, street and wall in this small city, marked on the World Heritage List. Wittenberg helps understand the dramatic historic change visualising Luther hammering his famed document into the church door.