The Luther City of Wittenberg

Friday, 18 May 2012 - 01:58 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage
Reading Time:  4 minutes

Memorial plaque Wittenberg Old Town Market © OTFW

Memorial plaque Wittenberg Old Town Market © OTFW

Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000.

The importance of Wittenberg historically was due to its seat of the Elector of Saxony, a dignity held by the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg and also to its close connection with Martin Luther and the dawn of the Protestant Reformation; several of its buildings are associated with the events of this time. Part of the Augustinian monastery in which Luther dwelt, first as a monk and later as owner with his wife and family, is preserved and considered to be the world’s premier museum dedicated to Luther. Various Luther and Melancthon memorial sites were added to the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.

Worker's village Piesteritz © Doris Antony Town Hall © Michael Sander The old town seen from the tower of All Saints Church © Fred3rik Post Office © Rillke Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach der Ältere Market Square with Town Hall and City Church St Marien © Stephan Herz Luther monument © Hallenser Wingolf Lutherhaus courtyard © MatthiasKabel Memorial plaque Wittenberg Old Town Market © OTFW
<
>
Market Square with Town Hall and City Church St Marien © Stephan Herz
Wittenberg is home to numerous important historical artifacts, as well as portraits and other paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger. On the doors of All Saints’ Church, the Schlosskirche (“castle church” built 1496–1506) Luther nailed his 95 theses in 1517. It was seriously damaged by fire in 1760 during a bombardment by the French during the Seven Years’ War, was practically rebuilt, and was later (1885–1892) restored. The wooden doors, burnt in 1760, were replaced in 1858 by bronze doors, bearing the Latin text of the theses. Inside the church are the tombs of Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, and of the electors Frederick the Wise (by Peter Vischer the Younger, 1527) and John the Constant (by Hans Vischer), and portraits of the reformers by Lucas Cranach the Younger.

St. Mary’s Church, the parish church in which Luther often preached, was built in the 14th century, but has been much altered since Luther’s time. It contains a magnificent painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, representing the Last Supper (with the faces of Luther and other reformers), Baptism and Confession, also a font by Hermann Vischer the Elder (1457). In addition, there are numerous historic paintings in the church.

The ancient electoral palace is another of the buildings that suffered severely in 1760; it now contains archives.

Martin Luther’s home, the Lutherhaus, where he studied and lived both before and after the Reformation, is now a museum containing many artifacts from his life. Melanchthon’s house and the house of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553), mayor of Wittenberg, can also be found here.

Statues of Luther (by Schadow), Melanchthon and Bugenhagen embellish the town. The spot outside the Elster Gate where Luther publicly burned the papal bull in 1520 is marked by an oak tree.

Read more on Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Wittenberg Tourism, District of Wittenberg, TourismusRegion Anhalt-Dessau-Wittenberg , Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Castle Church Wittenberg, Wittenberg Theatre, Luther Memorials Foundation and Wikipedia Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Johns Hopkins University & Medicine - Coronavirus Resource Center - Global Passport Power Rank - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




Recommended posts:

Share this post: (Please note data protection regulations before using buttons)

The Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde

The Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde

[caption id="attachment_184711" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Arran mountains over Rothesay © flickr.com - SeaDave/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Isle of Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent island of the larger County of Bute, it is now part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Bute's resident population is at 6,500. Farming and tourism are the main industries on the island, along with fishing and...

[ read more ]

Sun City in South Africa

Sun City in South Africa

[caption id="attachment_162285" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Main entrance of The Lost Palace © Chantal Smith[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Sun City is a luxury resort and casino, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located between the Elands River and the Pilanesberg, about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Sun City was developed by the hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It was of...

[ read more ]

Bodø, north of the Arctic Circle

Bodø, north of the Arctic Circle

[caption id="attachment_154380" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Landegode Lighthouse © Janter/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Bodø is a town and a municipality, the largest urban area and city in Nordland county, and the second-largest in North Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten and it is the capital of Nordland county. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø. Other villages in Bodø include Misvær, Skjerstad, Saltstraumen, Løding, Løpsmarka, Kjerringøy, Sørvær, and ...

[ read more ]

Theme Week New Zealand - Stewart Island

Theme Week New Zealand - Stewart Island

[caption id="attachment_234322" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Oban and Halfmoon Bay © Khalaan/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Stewart Island (Māori: Rakiura, lit. 'glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located 30 kilometres (16 nautical miles) south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land area of 1,746 km² (674 sq mi). Its 164-kilometre (102 mi) coastline is deeply creased by Paterson Inlet (east), Port ...

[ read more ]

The Meteora monasteries in Greece

The Meteora monasteries in Greece

[caption id="attachment_153853" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Meteora Panorama © Exwhysee[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Metéora ("suspended rocks", "suspended in the air" or "in the heavens above" - etymologically similar to "Meteorite") is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in centra...

[ read more ]

50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty

50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty

[caption id="attachment_7054" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Sculpture of Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle by Chantal de la Chauvinière-Riant outside the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Berlin © Adam Carr[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Élysée Treaty also known as the Treaty of Friendship, was concluded by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer in the Élysée Palace on January 22 1963. It set the seal on reconciliation between the two countries. With it, Germany and France established a new foundation for relations that ended cen...

[ read more ]

Château de Valençay

Château de Valençay

[caption id="attachment_201594" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Entry © Jean-Christophe BENOIST/cc-by-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Château de Valençay was a residence of the d'Estampes and Talleyrand-Périgord families in the commune of Valençay, the Indre département of France. Although geographically, it is part of the province of Berry, its architecture invites comparison with the Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley, notably the Château de Chambord. The manor was praised as "one of the most beautiful on earth" b...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Wales - Barry

Theme Week Wales - Barry

[caption id="attachment_153088" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Barry Waterfront © Cane Giapponese[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Barry is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles (11 km) south-southwest of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park. Once a small village, Barry has absorbed its larger neighbouring villages of Cadoxton and Barry Isl...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Paraguay - Ciudad del Este

Theme Week Paraguay - Ciudad del Este

[caption id="attachment_184017" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Downtown Ciudad del Este © Ekem/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Ciudad del Este (Spanish for City of the East) initialed CDE is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of the Alto Paraná Department, situated on the Paraná River. Its population is at 294,000. The city consists of a large population of Lebanese immigrants, as well as Taiwanese. The city annually attracts thousands of tourists for Black Friday. On a daily basis, many tourists from Br...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Ibiza - Ibiza Town

Theme Week Ibiza - Ibiza Town

[caption id="attachment_152177" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Port of Ibiza Town © Paul Hermans/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Ibiza (Catalan: Eivissa), also known as Ibiza Town, is a city and municipality located on the southeast coast of the island of Ibiza. The city, which has a population of 50,000, is the capital and most populous settlement of the island. Although called Ibiza in English and Spanish, the official name is the Catalan Eivissa (as restored in 1986) and its inhabitants call it the Vila d'Ei...

[ read more ]

Return to TopReturn to Top
Southern Manhattan with Peking in front and Wavertree in the background, seen from Staten Island ferry © Someone35
The steel-hulled four-masted barque Beijing

The Peking is a steel-hulled four-masted barque - the sister ship to the Passat and Padua (today Kruzenshtern). A so-called...

Town Hall © Patrick.charpiat
The port city of Calais

Calais is a town and major ferry port in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is...

Art Nouveau building © İhsan Deniz Kılıçoğlu
Baku, the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan

Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and...

Schließen