First published: 03/05/19.

Klaus Freisinger 4.0

Luther Memorials

Luther Memorials (Inscribed)

Luther Memorials by Klaus Freisinger

For anyone interested in history, this is a great site to visit, even though, as mentioned in some other reviews, the authenticity of some of the components is at least questionable. The famous Schlosskirche, for instance, was heavily damaged during the Seven Years' War, and the door where Luther posted his 95 Theses, and which can therefore be considered the birthplace of the Protestant faith, was destroyed by fire. What you can see now is just a 19th-century replica. The church itself is still quite impressive and an interesting place to visit (especially for the tombs of Luther and Melanchthon). Equally impressive is St. Mary's Church (the Stadtkirche or City Church, as opposed to the nobility's Castle Church), where Luther preached and where the first Mass in German was held - the famous Reformation Altar being the most important sight there. The remaining two components in Wittenberg are the Melanchthonhaus, with a beautiful Renaissance facade and a pretty garden, and the Lutherhaus, a former monastery where Luther lived as a monk and which today houses a museum on the history of the Reformation; some rooms are still very close to the original. Wittenberg is a very pretty town and all four sites are just a short walk away from each other. I also visited Eisleben, the place where Luther was born and died, but didn't spend any significant amount of time, and I enjoyed it rather less. It also has a nice historic centre, but the two buildings on the list (the house where he was born and where he died, both of which house museums today) are not original (or only in small parts) and only house a few original pieces from the era (and the actual place of his death was probably in a different building entirely). Both towns make a lot of their connection with Luther and have even changed their names - they are now officially called "Lutherstadt Wittenberg" resp. "Lutherstadt Eisleben". So, despite the lack of authenticity in some places, I think that the site deserves its place on the list and is worth the visit (although you could skip Eisleben).

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