I really enjoyed Wittenberg. In this city of 50,000 people Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle church (or All Saints’ Church) door in 1517. The feeling of excitement overcame me as we arrived in the city. Our youth hostel is roughly a few hundred feet from this very church. I couldn’t wait to see the church, especially the door where it all happened. I realize that to Martin Luther this door was basically a cork board where people would post lost kitten signs, but to the world it would be so much more! Unfortunately the original door no longer stands, the French burned it when they invaded the area (have the French ever done anything right?). The door was replaced as a brass door and engraved upon it are the 95 Theses in Latin as Luther wrote them. To the right in the photo I am standing in front of the very door. What a sight! I know that it is just a door, but there is just so much meaning in it. Before we arrived at the door we first visited the city church where Luther taught, the location where Luther burned the Papal Bull “Arise, Oh Lord,” written to Luther as a warning to recant his writings by the Pope Leo X. There stands an Oak tree supposedly the very spot where he burned it. Then we moved on to Luther’s house. I was amazed by the size of the place! I thought that it would have been a tiny place that, lets face it, wasn’t going to be very impressive and to my delight, I was completely wrong.
Luther had one of the biggest houses in the town. Here he and his wife brewed their own beer and wine, feed a constant supply of house guests, and tried to live their lives. I was lost trying to figure out the floor plan of the home in which they lived. There was a spiral staircase that led to the majority of all the floors which were now completely renovated to fit the museums white washed standards. To my happiness there was one room that was kept furnished how it was back in Luther’s time. I never thought that a monk would have lived as well as Luther. Especially Luther. I was under the impression that everyone was out for him because of the spread of thought and enlightenment in the Scriptures when he translated it into the common language so that all could read it and understand. This singular room was paneled with emerald and scarlet paints and embellished in gold twisted vines. The ceilings were painted beautifully as well. I don’t understand why they didn’t keep more of the house as it was when Luther would have roamed the halls. Above is a photo of Kristen and me sitting in front of Luther’s very own front door.
When we arrived at the church castle an entered inside we were able to see beautiful architecture and the graves of Luther and Melanchthon. It felt weird to be standing over where Luther’s body rested just 2 meters below me. After some time inside the church we were able to get the privilege to go up 289 steps to the top of the churches tower which is ironically 289 feet tall. Inscribed around the tower are the words “A mighty fortress is our God,” (though in German) which of course is Luther’s most famous hymn. When I reached the top and looked over the city of Wittenberg I sang along with Hannah Dupea that very hymn, now that was an experience. Wittenberg has two thumbs up from me.
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