Day Five: Wittenberg, Germany (Part Two)

On day two in Wittenberg we concentrated on the two churches, Town Church and Castle Church of All Saints, also known as the University Church. We start with the Castle Church and the events that led up to “the big event.”

When John Tetzel was authorized to sell indulgences in a nearby city (Frederick the Wise wouldn’t give him permission to come to Wittenberg), this kind of collection box was used to collect the money.

Luther hated these indulgences which became popular with the rhyme, “As soon as the coin in the coin box rings, another soul from purgatory springs.” This is what an indulgence looked like.

Given Luther’s disappointment with the spiritual shallowness he experienced in Rome, his studies on Romans, his witness of people being taken advantage of, and his bombastic personality, a showdown was inevitable.
   Luther did what any good scholar would do. Give reasons why he thought a practice was not right and open himself up to a debate on the matter. Nailing the 95 thesis to the Castle Church door was not an act of defiance. Rather, it was an invitation to a dialogue.

His hope was that the church would see the error of their ways through scholarly debate and change its practice. It was Melanchthon that recorded Luther nailed it to the door, which was the University church and functioned as a school bulletin board, yet Melanchthon wasn’t at the University yet so he was not an eyewitness. It has not been overlooked that Luther did this on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day at All Saints Church, speaking against indulgences and for direct access with God. Luther sent the 95 thesis to Cardinal Albrecht who, unbeknownst to Luther, passed them on to the pope. No one really took them seriously at first.
Then some of Luther’s students translated the document into German, since they were written in the scholarly language of Latin, and printed by the new printing press in town. Distributed far and wide, these theses gained in popularity and a movement began.

Without the printing press, the theses would have remained with the pope and cardinal and a handful of professors in Wittenberg, and nothing of significance would have ever happened.

Luther learned from this experienced and became a master of social media. Writing in the common language of the people, he produced pamphlet after pamphlet telling others with pictures and plain German why his understanding of church and God were better than the Catholic Church’s. He was the first best selling writer and he made good use of this new way to communicate his new ideas.

The door is now bronze, obviously not the original door. It now remains a place more than an artifact.

At Castle Church, Luther and Melanchthon are both buried at the front of the sanctuary.


 Incidentally, a year after Luther’s death, Charles V and his Catholic army conquered Wittenberg. As he walked into the Castle church, he was encouraged to exhume Luther’s body and burn it. But he refused. He said he doesn’t fight against the dead and to leave Luther’s body alone.
Frederick the Wise is also buried in the church.

Remember, this church was only for official University activities and for the Prince Elector himself to use, so the common person never worshipped in this church nor did Luther ever preach here.

A candle sits up front in commemoration of the 500th anniversary

and Danish royalty still come to participate in big events and dedications in the church using this throne.

The tower was 280 steps up (but who’s counting)


and has magnificent view of Wittenberg.

The Town Church is the people’s church.

This is where Luther pastored and preached over 2,000 times. It was here the first German mass was held. It was here Luther was married and where his children were baptized.


 Luther couldn’t help but get in the pulpit again.

Speaking of pulpits, this is Luther’s original pulpit on display in a museum that he preached from over 2,000 times.

The main focal point is the Lucas Cranach altarpiece.

I was so mesmerized by this piece I got the poster of it for my office. There is so much significance to each of the four paintings on the altarpiece and so many great stories. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper is represented as well as preaching Jesus from the Word of God. Melanchthon is baptizing the baby (an event that really happened) even though he is not ordained, emphasizing they priesthood of all believers.

The man at communion with the cup is Martin Luther disguised as Knight George who he became when he was on the run at Wartburg Castle.

The kneeling woman and the boy in the red coat at Luther’s sermon is his wife and son.

 The man holding the keys to the kingdom is Buganhagen who was Luther’s priest and confessor and part of the University. On one side a man gets into heaven and the man on the other side is still handcuffed by his sin.

By the way, red represents they good guys and yellow is the bad guys. Notice Judas is in yellow next to Jesus in the communion scene. Also notice the guy in handcuffs is mostly red except for the bottom of his shorts, which probably means he was mostly a good man but wasn’t so faithful to his wife. And the stories go on!
Oh, here's one more. On the back of the altar, there is a Cranach painting of heaven and hell. When students finish the University, they must inscribe their names on the painting, heaven if they were successful, hell if they weren't. No pressure! Guess whose name is in hell? Hans Luther, Martin Luther's son. He failed theology, so he went into law, just the opposite of his father, who studied law and then went to theology. Hans fulfilled his grandfather's wishes for his son, Martin!


   Lucas Cranach, the painter, was another person in Luther’s life that made the Reformation possible.
(I hope you are getting the idea by now that the Reformation was not just about one man. All these people had to be in his life in order for him to be as successful as he was.) Cranach was the only one allowed to paint Luther. Here is Luther as a monk, in his later years, and as Knight George.


He illustrated all of Luther’s pamphlets and books, and given that 95% of the people were illiterate, more people “read” Cranach than read Luther’s words.

Cranach is legendary and ran a painters school where 30 or more apprentices worked at a given time. He was not only a dear friend, but also an extremely talented person who helped Luther tremendously in his ministry.
Finally, we get to town hall,

where they courtyard is the only place made of the stones that were part of Luther’s Wittenberg. He actually could have stepped on these stones!

The town hall boasts a statue of Luther and Melanchthon. Luther’s statue is the first statue ever that was made of someone not of noble birth.



Then of course there is the small cat door who were let in at night to take care of others mice in town hall.

Finally, the well near the town hall is linked to the brewery and offers beer to passersby. It used to be free but alas, we now have to pay for it.

After a full day of learning about Luther, we took advantage of the annual Festival of Lights and did a little shopping and enjoyed the light show. Whew!

Day Four: Wittenberg, Germany

Aaaaah, Wittenberg. Luther’s town and the place he spent most of his life. We have two full days here. I only took about 200 pictures per day in this delightful city, so the dilemma is…what to share? Today we will focus on his personal life, family and friends. Tomorrow we will look more at his professional life and the two main churches of the town.
     Luther was first sent to the small, sleepy, rural town of Wittenberg of 2,000 people while he was studying in the big city of Erfurt with a 20,000 population. He was not excited about going and said, “Wittenberg is the end of civilization and behind it is nothing.” He lectured at the University for the 1508-09 school year before returning to Wittenberg.
     But first a little background on the University. When Frederick the Wise came to power as the Prince Elector, he wanted to put Wittenberg on the map and make a name for himself. He did that by founding a University in 1502. He proclaimed, “Under my reign, we will educate.” So the University was brand new when Luther was there. Frederick wanted the best scholars to teach at his school so he was willing to pay professors a little more to get the best. Luther and Frederick had a great respect for each other although they never spoke directly to each other since Frederick was nobility.

So after Luther WALKED to Rome, sent by his superiors, and came back completely disillusioned with the church, he was enticed to go to Wittenberg where he could study and teach. He was transferred in 1511 to the Wittenberg Monastery (remember he was still a monk) and became a full professor with his doctorate degree awarded in 1512. He lectured one book of the Bible per year and in 1515 his focus on Romans. While no one can pinpoint a date for the AHA! Moment of his revelation of justification by grace and not works, most believe it was during this studying time when he was preparing his lecture on Romans that this understanding slowly developed. In 1516 his focus was Galatians and in 1517 he posted his 95 thesis. The timing makes sense. He would do his studying in this Augustinian Monastery, where he had his revelation.

But after the Reformation took hold, Luther preached that monastic vows were optional and encouraged monks to get married. Most gladly did which meant they left the monastery. Luther was one of the last ones left. He was a scholar, not a homemaker. His friends convinced to practice what he preached and get a wife.
     Katharina von Bora was sent at the age of five to a convent because her mother had died and her stepmother didn’t really want to take care of her. She was raised by nuns and in a country where 95% of the population was illiterate, she learned to read and write. After reading some material Luther had published, 12 nuns decided to escape the convent. After all they were prisoners there, never wanting to be there in the first place. They wrote to Luther in 1522 who had a friend who delivered food to that convent. They hid in a barrel of herring and made it to Luther’s house. But women couldn’t live on their own, so they needed either their father or a husband. 4 went back to their parents. 7 were married off. Katharina was engaged but since she didn’t have a dowry, her future in-laws said no. She refused to marry another suitor and said, “If I am to marry, it will be Luther himself.” For two years she cooked meals for him and brought them to the monastery. She ran a pharmacy and was an intelligent, independent, business minded woman. After Luther’s friends encouraged him, he said, “Yes, maybe she can help me.” And boy, did she ever. In some ways she became his manager, making sure he got paid by the printers so they didn’t keep all the money, financially running the household, growing the crops, entertaining all the people that were constantly in the house. He grew to respect her greatly and affectionately called her “Mr. Luther” putting her equal to a man. He left everything to her in his will even though she had no rights as a woman to inherit it.
 Katharina was Luther’s “right hand man” and many say without her, he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did.

A statue commemorates her today in the courtyard of the monastery. She has one foot forward, always on the move, and walking through a doorway, opening doors for other women. It is said to be good luck to rub her wedding ring so that it remains a gold color.

I saw her real wedding ring on display in Leipzig.

She created a special portal for Luther for their anniversary which still stands today. How romantic!

They were married June 13, 1525 which is a date that is still greatly celebrated in Wittenberg to this day. They had 6 children together, 4 of whom made it to adulthood. And where did they live? Yep, the former monastery now became the Luther home. The happy couple shared 21 years together. Oh, and did I mentioned she brewed 4,000 liters of beer per year. No wonder it was a happy marriage!

In the house there is the hall where Luther gave many of his lectures which lasted 3-4 hours long with 300 students packed in this room.

So when Luther said his sermons were short because the common person couldn’t take in too much information, that meant he only preached an hour. Mmmm, maybe I should try that. In his bedroom, in which only the cupboards are original, there is a couple of his clocks (which he loved).



Luther loved having people over. Students, friends, professors, anyone who wanted to talk theology or other matter of life. The book Table Talk summarizes many of these conversations. This is the place where the table talks happened and lots of beer drinking.

Here is one of Luther’s mugs that he used and a large cup from the King of Sweden.


 And yes, they even found Luther’s bathroom.

The University that brought Luther to Wittenberg gained more and more fame. In fact this school gains so much prestige it is known throughout Europe. The University’s reputation was, “If you want to have fun, go somewhere else. If you want to study, go to Wittenberg.” Even Shakespeare mentions it. On the first page in Hamlet, you will notice that the prince studied at Wittenberg. In fact a real  Danish Prince did study in Wittenberg and stayed in this place.

When the University was at its height, it had over 2,000 students, more than the population of the town. The students brought business and restaurants, new constructions, and of course taverns all flourished. But in order to become such a prestigious school, it needed more prestigious faculty. When he school was looking for a Greek professor, Luther had the perfect suggestion.

Philip Melanchthon was a true genius and many scholars believe the Reformation would not have happened if it wasn’t for him. Luther and Melanchthon were fascinated by each other and as opposite as you could get. Luther was taller, heavier, outgoing, with a larger than life personality. Melanchthon was scrawny, nerdy, a peacemaker, and behind-the-scenes kind of guy. They were a perfect match.

Philip received his Bachelor degree at 14 and 17 he got his masters. He was teaching kids who were his own age! Because of his youth and his looks, many in Wittenberg doubted when he arrived in town at 21 years of age. But as soon as he gave his inaugural address in the Castle Church, everyone was stunned. One person remarked, “One reckoned he was just a boy, but he was of giant mind.” He knew 11 languages and was a whiz at Greek.

Philip didn’t like Wittenberg. It was too cold, too dirty, and he didn’t like the wine. How to get him to stay? Marry him off, of course. So with great reservation, Luther and others talked him into getting married. On each wedding invitation he wrote in Greek (so that his wife couldn’t read it) “This is the saddest day of my life.” The professors got a kick out of it. They did learn to truly love each other after several years.
He was about to leave another time and when asked what would keep him in Wittenberg he said a large house. He was gifted a house by Frederick the Wise that had 86 rooms and 12 kitchens and a large backyard where he could do his botany work. That should be big enough.

Philip was the most popular teacher in town with Luther second. Philip was a work-aholic, getting up at 4:00 am to write letters, teaching in his house from 6:00-9:00 am and then going to the University to lecture, and then working until past midnight. Kings, noblemen, and people all over the world asked him for his advice. It was Philip that suggested to Luther that he translate the Bible into German when he was at Wartburg Castle, which Luther did with Phillip’s help. When Luther couldn’t go to a conference at Augsburg, it was Melanchthon who represented the Lutherans and wrote the Augsburg Confession approved without any changes by Luther and still used to this day.

This is his house but everything inside were simply replicas. The only original piece is a stone tablet that Melanchthon carved his name into in 1551.

Philip’s greatest achievement was reforming the educating system and including girls to be educated. He is known as the “Teacher of Germany.” In Germany he is almost as popular as Luther and was a determining factor in the advancement of the Reformation.

With our brains full of all this information (and then some), we decided to enjoy a little German culture and go to a Beir Garden. I ordered the schnitzel and the local brewed Wittenberger craft beer.



I’ll end with the famous saying Luther often quoted about beer, “He who drinks beer sleeps well. He  who sleeps well doesn’t sin. He who doesn’t sin goes to heaven. But in heaven there’s no beer, so we must drink it down here.” Here’s the Luther!

 

Day Three: Berlin, Germany
    Today was more of a transition day. I flew from Basel to Berlin and caught up with my Reformation Doctorate classmates.

We stayed in Berlin a few hours for a short tour of the highlights of Berlin before driving about two hours to Wittenberg.
The highlights for Berlin included some of the familiar sights: the Berlin Wall, Tower, Charlie Checkpoint, Bradenburg Gate, and a Holocaust memorial. Because all of these are well known icons of Berlin, I’ll only offer brief explanations and since I didn’t research these, many of you will have much more information than I do about these sites.
This is the largest tower in the world after Moscow.

It was a symbol of intimidation and a way of saying “Big brother is always watching.” There were officials stationed up on the tower and they literally were watching over the city. When residents looked up they were reminded they were living under a Communist regime. But residents saw something else when they looked up. A shining cross would often appear on the ball on the tower. The atheist regime did everything they could to get rid of it. They painted the ball, scrubbed it, coated it with different material but the cross kept showing up. Our tour guide explained, “I think it was God’s revenge.”
We saw both iron remnants of the Berlin Wall as well as the wall itself.

There is still about a mile left standing.


The wall was built by the East Germans in 1961 to “protect” its citizens from capitalism, although citizens couldn’t understand why the guns were pointed at them instead of the other side. There were a few checkpoints where some West Germans and those with credentials could come and go. Our guide went through these as a child and said the wait would often be 3 hours to get through the checkpoint and the guards would inspect his stuffed animals and school books.
Three checkpoints in particular led from the American sector of Germany to the East German side. Charlie Checkpoint is the most famous, not named after the person but the well known NATO phonetic alphabet. The first checkpoint was Alpha, second named Bravo, and this third checkpoint dubbed Charlie Checkpoint.


Allied soldiers and foreign visitors traveling to East Germany were registered at the checkpoint. There was a very well done display of several heart breaking incidents at the checkpoint of those who tried to escape or get back to the West side. Some made it. Some didn’t.
The Bradenburg Gate is the most famous of all Berlin sites.

For centuries this monument has overshadowed the plaza and seen historic events in Germany. I’ll let you google this if you want to know more about the Bradenburg Gate. The temporary white fence around it was just put up the day before for the festivities to celebrate reunification on October 3. Although reunification happened on November 9, that day was also the anniversary of Kristallnacht when the Nazi party organized a boycott and riot against the Jews. The people did not think a celebration should happen on such a date so they moved it to October 3.
Finally, we squeezed in a short visit to a memorial of the Holocaust. It was powerful. The blocks started off small, almost unnoticeable.

But not only did the blocks get bigger, the ground sloped down so that before you know it you were lost in a maze of blocks.



The intention was that you cannot see around the blocks so you never knew who was around the corner. This was the experience of the Jewish people who never knew who was a spy or when they would simply be arrested by the Nazi police. It was a very unsettling experience. Walking through life carefully, hesitating, peaking around the corner before continuing produced a slight sense of fear as you walked through. The undulating pavement made your footing unstable. It was a sense of relief to get to the other side. This was a foretaste of what we were going to experience in Buchenwald later in the week.
That night we arrived at Wittenberg and celebrated with Luther beer. We were finally in Luther’s city!