Lutherstadt Wittenberg
CRADLE OF THE REFORMATION

LUTHERHAUS (LUTHER'S HOUSE)

The Lutherhaus is a converted Augustinian monastery, originally constructed in 1504. It was the centre of Luther’s work for more than thirty-five years. It is where he took up residence after his arrival in Wittenberg in September 1508, where he lived as a monk and where  he lived together with his family after 1525. He held lectures here for students from throughout Europe and it is the place where he wrote the texts that would go on to change the world. The Lutherhaus has been a museum open to visitors since 1883. Today, it is the world’s largest museum for Reformation history.

opening hours

April to October
Monday to Sunday 9am - 6pm

November to March
Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 5pm
Monday closed

Contact information

Lutherhaus Wittenberg
Collegienstraße 54
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Phone: +49 (0)3491 4203118
Fax: +49 (0)3491 4203270
Mail: info@martinluther.de
Web: www.lutherstadt-wittenberg.de

CASTLE CHURCH

The Schlosskirche (All Saints’ Church) is a must-see for visitors taking a short break or city trip to Wittenberg. This is where Luther is said to have nailed his famous 95 Theses to the main door of the church on 31 October 1517. Although historians now doubt whether this ‘posting of the Theses’ actually took place in the manner described, the door to the church remains inseparably associated with the Reformer and his drive to effect change. A bronze ‘Theses Door’ was installed in 1858 to commemorate his alleged act. The original door was lost during the Seven Years’ War. The Theses Door is located on the north side of the Castle Church.

Wittenberg’s Castle Church is steeped in history. In 1489, Elector Frederick the Wise commissioned a new palace – a Renaissance castle spanning four wings – to be built on the site of the original Wittenberg castle. The Castle Church constitutes the North-Eastern wing of the former palatial complex. Four days after Martin Luther’s death, he was laid to rest near the Castle Church’s pulpit. His coffin rests some 8 feet (2.4 metres) underground and is not accessible. Luther’s fellow campaigner Philipp Melanchthon, is buried in the church as well. Beneath the foyer lies the dynastic tomb of the Ascanian Electors.

In 1503, the building was consecrated as a castle and collegiate church according to Catholic rite, and designated as ‘All Saints’. In 1525, Roman Catholic mass was abolished, and Evangelical church services introduced. The church was nearly destroyed in 1760 during the Seven Years’ War. The design of the current interior dates from the period between 1883 and 1892. Amazingly, the Castle Church survived both World Wars largely unscathed.

Between 1507 and 1815, the site served as the university church for the University of Wittenberg’s Leucorea foundation and as the burial site for its deceased professors. Today, Wittenberg Castle Church is used to host religious services as well as baptism and wedding ceremonies and as a venue for sacred music events, some of which feature the renowned Ladegast Organ. Some 180,000 visitors from all over the world visit the great Reformation memorial church every year.

contact information

Schlosskirche Wittenberg
Schlossplatz
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Phone: +49 (0)3491 402585
Mail: info@schlosskirche-wittenberg.de

MELANCHTHON's HOUSE

Melanchthon's House in Wittenberg is an architectural jewel. The Renaissance structure features a characteristic gable and is considered one of the most beautiful houses in the city. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The site at what is now Collegienstraße 60 was home to Philipp Melanchthon from the moment he arrived in Wittenberg in 1518. From 1520 onward, Melanchthon was joined in what was then a modest timber frame house by his wife, Katharina. The current three-storey edifice was originally commissioned by Elector Johann Friedrich in 1536 to tie Philipp Melanchthon, the ‘Teacher of Germany’, to the local university. The new house offered enough space for his family and for his students alike. The Prussian state purchased the building in 1845 and in 1898/1899 commissioned the scholar’s study and the room where he died to be reconstructed on the building’s first storey.

opening hours

April to October
Monday to Sunday 10am - 6pm

November to March
Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 5pm
Monday closed

contact information

Melanchthonhaus
Collegienstraße 60
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Phone: +49 (0)3491 4203110
Fax: +49 (0)3491 4203270
Mail: melanchthonhaus@martluther.de 

ST. MARY’S PARISH CHURCH

St. Mary’s parish church in Wittenberg is a place where visitors can steep themselves in the history of the Reformation. As the oldest building in Wittenberg, St. Mary’s is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Martin Luther held countless sermons here. The original pulpit still exists has been loaned out to the Lutherhaus. Luther’s companion Johannes Bugenhagen was active here, passing on his reformatory insights. The Reformation altar was designed by the famous painter Lucas Cranach the Elder and can be admired as part of a guided tour. Additionally, the church possesses several Cranach panel paintings, the ornate Hermann Vischer baptismal font, which is the oldest artefact in the church, and a magnificent organ. In the sacristy, visitors can view works of contemporary art.

opening hours

Easter to October
Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 11.30am - 6pm

November to Easter
Monday to Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 11.30am - 4pm

contact information

Evangelische Stadt- und Pfarrkirche St. Marien
Jüdenstraße 36
Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Phone: +49 (0)3491 404415
Mail: naumann@kirche-wittenberg.de

CRANACH COURTS

Well-known painter and printmaker Lucas Cranach the Elder (born in Kronach in 1472, died in Weimar in 1553) spent more than 45 years of his very active life in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, where he ran the most important artistic workshop of his day. This was where he produced the paintings that currently hang in the world’s major museums. He painted  portraits of Reformers like Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon and of Prince Electors and created altarpieces.

The Reformer Martin Luther was one of the artist’s friends. In 1505, Elector Frederick the Wise appointed Lucas as the official painter of his court at Wittenberg. At first, Cranach lived in the painter’s studio inside the castle. In 1512, he acquired the neighbouring market properties at Markt No. 3 and 4. It is believed that this was the year in which he married and moved to the market square with his family.

Around 1517/1518, Cranach sold the property at the market, presumably because his rapidly expanding workshop had outgrown it. In turn, he acquired the property with the largest court yard in all of Wittenberg, located at Schlossstraße 1. In 1522, Cranach was able to buy back the space at Markt 4 as well. He opened a printing press there together with his business partner Christian Döring. The works illustrated and published by him include Martin Luther’s New Testament in German.

Today, both Cranach courtyards are under historic preservation and entice visitors with handcrafted items, culture and gourmet food in a history-laden setting. Markt 4 features the permanent exhibition ‘Cranach’s World’, whilst the historic printing workshop can be seen at Schlossstraße 1.

contact information

Cranach Stiftung
Markt 4
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Phone: +49 (0)3491 4201911
Mail: cranach-hoefe@t-online.de or cranach-stiftung@web.de

HISTORICAL PRINTER ROOM

The Cranach Court in Schlossstraße 1 is home to a treasure from the past - a historic printer's room operated by Andreas Metschke. You can experience history live, following in the footsteps of Gutenberg, Cranach and many others.

A variety of prints are hung on the walls. Some are black & white, some brightly coloured, portraits, invitations, sayings - everything that can be done with ink on paper is made here just as it was 500 years ago. The printing press stands impressively in the corner, waiting to be put into operation. The other half of the room is filled with massive cabinets, where the letters of the various fonts are stacked in the letter cases.

Andreas Metschke is a trained printer. He has also worked as a historical printer for the past 26 years. Script and words are his passion, as is language and its development. "It's sad that almost nobody owns a Duden any more", he says and decries the decline of language. His own Duden may well not contain many of the words that are really common today – that at least is the impression given by its historical appearance.

The principle of a mechanical printing press is not very difficult: a printing plate is filled with letters into a printing form and clamped in the printing press. A roller carries the ink onto the printing form, which is then pressed onto a printing material. This is how an imprint is made. Although the printing press in this workshop is not from the 15th century, the principle is the same.

Typesetting the printing form takes between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the subject. Printing itself is then the shortest part of the process. Watching how quickly the finished printed sheets pile up – always with a blank sheet in between so that nothing rubs off – can be quite hypnotic. Finally, the print then dries for more or less 24 hours, depending on which ink was used and the printing substrate.

The printing workshop is full of Luther: you can see him everywhere, either on prints with slogans which are still drying, in portraits or on templates. You come across the Reformer wherever you look. Even if you look at the cabinets full of letters in the various fonts. Of course, the font "Rundgotisch” can be found here. It was this font that Luther used for his Bible as it was easily decipherable. Without frills, serifs or other embellishments it is easily and clearly legible. A perfect match for Luther's message.

Even as we look around the printing workshop, larger and smaller visitor groups keep looking in to watch Andreas Metschke at work. He allows himself a few jokes in passing with the tourists, while operating the heavy machine. This is just the right place for anyone who is interested in book printing and its history. A guided tour even gives visitors the option of doing some printing themselves if they wish. Prints can also be ordered.

contact information

Historische Druckerstube
Schlossstraße 1
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg