Reformation Lands

Checkpoint Charlie

Throughout our Reformation tour, we were able to visit Dresden, Berlin, Wittenberg, Eisenach, Weimar, and Heidelberg. In Berlin, we were able to see the Reichstag and also Check Point Charlie. Being able to visit Checkpoint Charlie hit a soar spot in my heart because I know a lady back at home who was raised in East Germany. Her family, including her, was safely smuggled into West Germany and continued living there until they made their way to America. To actually be in the vicinity where there was such controversy and tension gave the city an eerie sense. They would present maps of the streets describing how the checkpoint functioned along with no mans land and conveying the mood of the atmosphere.

Lutherhaus

Making the “pilgrimage” to the Lutherhaus made the Reformation very real to me. The Lutherhaus is the old Augustinian Monastery where Luther resided as a monk. Once the monastery disbanded, it was given the purpose of being the Luther’s home and also housing students within its various rooms. One reason why this old monastery is so significant is because Luther made his discovery of “justification by faith alone” within its walls. The doors and walls were spectators in Luther’s lectures and the theological conversation that took place between the various students and reformers. Today, this home serves the purpose of being a museum to its many visitors since 1883. It holds Reformation art, literature, propaganda, and objects relating directly to Luther. Luther’s personal desk, pulpit from St. Mary’s Church, and some first editions of his works are located here. It is hard to imagine while touring the museum that Martin Luther, one of the great leaders of the Reformation, not only walked down these same hallways, but resided here. Luther moved to the monastery in 1508; it has survived over 500 years! Expectantly, the museum itself has gone through some renovations but some well preserved room and artifacts survived. We were fortunate enough to be able to tour the basement where Luther had his brewery and it described Luther’s outside activities. One quote that caught my eye was “No matter how much Satan is raging, meanwhile I will laugh at him and watch the gardens, that is the Creator’s blessing and enjoy them to His praise.” The next top floors were dedicated to Reformation artifacts and Luther’s life. The museum’s library contained 15,000 titles from 16-18th century. If I am not mistaken, we were able to view the Community Chest from Luther’s church in Wittenberg. We also were privileged to view many works of Reformation Art throughout the rooms. Before entering the museum, I had never realized the art that represented the Reformation and the impact it had upon Europe. Being able to view this art in person opened a whole new spectrum within my perception of the Reformation.


Castle Church

The Castle Church was situated right next door to our hostel in Wittenberg! This church was built by Frederick the Wise in 1490, but wasn’t completed until 1509. This church is greatly known for the 95 Theses that Martin Luther supposedly nailed to the door on October 31, 1517.These theses undermined papal authority which triggered the beginning of the Reformation. Unfortunately, in 1790 a fire due to the French during the Seven Years War scorched the majority of the church, including the doors that bore the marks from the 95 Theses. The church was rebuilt and further restored throughout meager damages. Today stands bronze doors that are engraved with the Luther’s Theses in Latin. A tower around the Castle Church was constructed to commemorate Luther. Printed around the tower is “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” in big bold letters. Even though we did not make this climb, visitors can ascent the 289 steps up the tower and take in the immaculate view the top provides of Wittenberg. This church is not only important because of the 95 Theses, but also for Frederick the Wise himself. He was able to provide Luther protection and security that hardly any other reformers were given. After the Diet of Worms, it was Frederick the Wise that captured Luther and placed him into hiding. This church had such great significance that Luther’s funeral and burial were held here, rather than his church which is only a few blocks away. Even if the fable of Luther pounding the Theses onto the door is false, it was fun imagining sneaking through the streets with a hammer and nails to pound the paper into the door. It was not only very surreal to imagine Luther’s actions, but also realize the consequences of it. It was difficult to conceptualize that we were standing in the spot and sleeping in the same town where they actions occurred. Even though we are now gone and living in Regensburg again, it is complicated to think that we were there!

Erfurt Monastery

This church and monastery was constructed between the years of 1276-1340 but it is widely known for Luther’s commitment and stay at the monastery between the years of 1505-1511. As we have learned in our class, Luther’s decision to become a monk came from his lightening bold experience where he pledged to Saint Ann to become a monk if she helps him. During our tour, the guide explained that possibly Luther choose this particular monastery because the Augustinians were widely known for their devotion and strict lifestyle. We have studied and gone through the principles of asceticism and know what they were working towards, but to actually be in that same monastery puts a whole new meaning to the word asceticism. During our visit, it was not the dead of winter and it was still freezing within the church! While the tour guide was relaying information to us, it was hard for me to concentrate on his words because all I could think about was the cold. I cannot fathom being in that temperature with little clothing on a regular basis. It is especially painful to think about how the monks, Luther for example, would sleep on the cold stone at nights without any blankets. Talking was only allowed within certain boundaries (which were very minimal) and bedtime lasted from 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. They only received two meals a day which did not consist of a variety of foods. The Augustinians were very frugal with their resources and didn’t exploit anything. While sitting in the church portion, the guide explained the how the stain glass windows were original and the significance of the pictures. Luther dwelled into this ascetic lifestyle during his stay at this monastery to the point where he was annoying the other monks, primarily Staupitz. It was by the orders of this man that Luther was sent to Wittenberg for the purpose of concentrating on the world rather than himself.


Castle at Wartburg


The Castle of Wartburg is nestled right on the outside boundaries of Eisenach, Germany. This particular castle is said to be one of the best medieval castles in Germany. It was constructed in 1067 and depicts Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Historicist architecture. One of the main attractions for visiting the castle was the fact that Martin Luther resided here for ten months. When Luther was leaving the Diet of Worms, Frederick the Wise captured Luther and placed him here under the disguise of Knight George. Under this disguise, Luther or “Knight George” translated the Bible into German. The museum has a display of the room that represents what it would have looked like during Luther’s stay, although it is not the original furnishings. Luther’s translation of the Bible into German had a great impact on the German Reformation because prior to this translation, the language of study was always in Latin. Luther’s translation was comprehendible to the reader and allowed Germans to read the Bible for themselves. One thought that crossed my mind was that when I imagine prominent men, such as Luther, doing deeds such as this, I tend to portray them in great conditions in serene atmospheres. Standing in the doorway of the room where Luther worked so hard and used his linguistic abilities to translate these languages erects the actual situation in which Luther was present. It gives me the sense that no matter what situation or conditions anybody is in, they can still be productive and succeed in their attempts in whatever they set their mind to.


Cathedral at Speyer




We stopped for a short while at the Cathedral in Speyer and took a quick glance around the church. There were 50 or more official diets in Speyer, but there were 2 major diets concerning the Reformation. The first Diet of Speyer was in 1526 where a national council of the Empire was held to try and resolve the religious issue. Within this diet, the results were to revoke the edict of Worms within the Empire. Men were expected to life their lives in justice before God and the Imperial Majesty. At the end of the day, they basically agreed to disagree; this freed up the evangelicals. Evangelicals looked at this diet as a “’right of Reformation’ that legitimated their claims to authority in the religious question.” The princes did not so much care about the Reformation itself, but the power over the Reformation. The second Diet of Speyer was held in 1529 where Ferdinand (appointed by Charles V who was not present in Germany) tried to take the matter into his own hands and gain control over this ongoing religious issue. He advocated for the nullification agreements that were conceived at the 1526 Diet of Speyer and to reinforce the edict of Worms. A protest came out of this proclamation and it “created a separation that would not be overcome.” At the end of the day, the first diet was pro Protestant where as the second diet was pro Catholic. Visiting the Cathedral did not quite have a significant impact on me other than the realization that key leaders during the Reformation once stood in the same building.


St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s Church, or the City Church, was constructed in the 12th century and makes it the oldest structure in Wittenberg, Germany. Many people come to visit Wittenberg to be able to stand in this church because this was Luther’s home church were he preached, was married, and baptized his children. While standing where the pulpit would have stood and sitting in the pews, it was interesting to try and imagine myself in the service where Martin Luther preached the first mass in German. Not only was this church were the first mass in German was given, but it was also where bread and wine were administered to the congregation at Holy Communion. This church is also said to be the “mother of the Reformation.” While first walking down the aisle, you are faced with a massive painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder of the major Reformation leaders. This painting is also the cover of our History of the Reformation textbook! The outside of this church does not give the inside justice. The outside is just stone and looks quite gloomy and has sculptures that a person must concentrate on to notice.. As we have learned, Martin Luther was quite Anti-Semitic and this was characterized by the outside architecture where the Jews were portrayed as “Judensau,” or as being worthless as swine and suckling on a pig. Throughout the interior of the church, there were keystones as Christ as the Lamb of God, Angel of Proclamation, and the fleeing dragon where Christ is proclaimed as victor, and evil must yield. The square around the city church that served the purpose of being a graveyard.