Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Eisleben. In 1505 he entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt. Luther was a devout Christian and a seasoned theologian. Gradually he began to doubt the teachings of the church. How can you buy the salvation of a soul with money? Why is the Pope’s word more important than the Bible? In 1517, Luther, already a professor of theology, published 95 theses criticizing the Catholic Church.
The Reformation was a movement for church renewal that spread throughout almost all of Europe and split Christianity into Protestants and Catholics. The rift passed through all countries: in Germany, Scandinavia, the Baltic states, Luther’s teachings spread, and in other countries other reformers acted – John Calvin (France/Switzerland) and Ulrich Zwingli (Switzerland), whose teachings influenced the emergence of the so-called reformed confessions. Anglicanism arose in England, i.e. national Protestant church. A common feature of all Protestants was the rejection of the papism of that time, an orientation toward the Bible and the “doctrine of grace.” According to this doctrine, a person can acquire salvation only through Divine grace, and not through good works.
Subsequently, the conflict between the old church and the renovationists flared up even more. As a result, new denominations separated from Catholicism. From now on, a confessional border passed through Europe. This division caused the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) and created essentially two different populations within Europe, with interfaith marriages being the exception. Some historians and sociologists even believe that the Protestant mentality contributed to the dynamic development of the modern economy and thereby left Catholic Europe far behind.
We invite you to take a trip to the cities of Saxony-Anhalt where Martin Luther was born, published his 95 theses and was buried.
All sites in Saxony-Anhalt associated with Martin Luther are located near Halle (Saale).
How to get:
Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ)
Halle (Saale) Railway Station
Halle (Saale) Central Bus Station is situated on the Halle (Saale) Railway Station
In the 16th century, Wittenberg was a major center of cultural, scientific and political life in Germany, played a prominent role in the beginning of the Reformation, and was the place of activity of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon and Lucas Cranach, as well as the Karptsov family of famous medieval jurists. It was the center of the Principality of Saxe-Wittenberg; in the 16th century, the residence of the Elector of Saxony was located in Wittenberg.
Among the places associated with Martin Luther are the following:
The small town of Eisleben is considered one of the main attractions of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. After all, here, in the foothills of the Harz Mountains, Martin Luther was born more than 500 years ago. In the same city, by the way, he died, although the great Reformer traveled a lot around the cities of Germany. The townspeople proudly display the house where Luther was born (although his real house burned down in 1689 and another building stands in its place) and the house in which he died. Thanks to Luther, Eisleben proudly bears the prefix “Lutherstadt” (Luther’s city).
In the city, the Church of St. Andrew, which is part of the city route along the “Luther’s places,” deserves attention. Martin Luther preached his last sermon in February 1546. A few days after her, Luther died. The church still has a music stand containing the Bible that Luther used during his last sermon.
Also interesting is the Helfta Monastery (Kloster St. Marien zu Helfta), known since the 13th century for the fact that the leading alchemists and mystics of their time worked there.
After his death Luther’s body was transported back to Wittenberg and they stopped for the night in Halle, laying him in state inside Market Church. Today, visitors have the chance to see his death mask as well as the pulpit where he used to preach from to the congregation.
University named after Martin Luther in Halle-Wittenberg is one of the oldest universities in Germany. The Universitätsplatz square is framed by an impressive ensemble of buildings: Löwengebäude, Melanchthonianum, Robertinum, Hörsaalgebäude and Juridicum.
