Martin Luther

The main reason we came to Germany was to go to sites related to Martin Luther.  Our first stop involved Eisnach which where he studied for a time as a youth and where he was hidden at the Wartburg Castle following the Diet of Worms controversy.Then we went to Erfurt where Luther entered the Augustinian order.  We saw that cloister and churches important in the area, After that, we pushed on to the town of Eisleben.  This is the town in which he was born and as it turns out, also where he died.
Though it took a bit of poking around and asking questions, we did find his birth house.

Here I stand (If you will) in front of Luther's birth house.

The museum in Luther's birth house was very good.  In it was a model of Eisleben in Luther's day.  The lighted buildings show where Luther was born in 1483 and where he was baptized (St. Peter and Paul Church) the next day.  They are just about a block away from one another.

If you look closely enough, you can see once again the house where Luther was born and the house where he died.  He had come back to Eisleben as he was asked to settle a dispute.

This picture shows the continuation of the "scaffolding tour".  St. Peter and Paul Church in Eisleben is undergoing extensive renovations in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

We were able to go into the church but a few steps.  Again, this is where Luther was baptized.  That was God's gift to him which supported him throughout his life.

It was in this house that Luther died.  If you look closely through the front door, you will once again see scaffolding.  We were not able to go into the house.

After spending a few hours in Eisleben, we pushed on to the place which would be the center of Luther's life as a reformer.  We drove to the town of Wittenberg.  This is where he became the most famous professor at the University of Wittneberg and from here he began turning the world upside down with his emphasis on the free grace of God.

This is a view of the Schloss Kirche or Castle Church.  It was here that Luther nailed the 95 theses and so began the revolt known as the Reformation.

This is a view of the nave of the Castle Chuch. 

This is the other main church in Wittenberg.  It is the Marien Kirche or City Church.  Evidently, Luther enjoyed preaching the most in this church.

This is the actual pulpit from which Luther preached in the City Church.

This may seem a bit big but it is the home of Martin and Katherina Luther.  It was the former cloister of the Augustinian monastery.  As it turns out, they needed the room.  In addition to their own children, they took in the six children of one of Luther's sisters.  They also had students board with them.  They would often have 40 in the house and for meals!  Katie was a remarkable person in her own right!

Here Gay is shaking hands with a statue of Katie.

I have a couple of videos of the churches which I will post later as the connection I now have is too slow.

It was a good day exploring Wittenberg and being in this remarkable place.  I will post more about this in a later posting.

Blessings!