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You are here: Home Leisure Travel & Tourism In Martin Luther's footsteps

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28/07/2003In Martin Luther's footsteps

He didn't like the Pope, the Turks or the Jews - and didn't think much of the rest of us. Catriona Lyons charts the misanthropic path of Europe's religious revolutionary.

On hitting the Martin Luther trail, I discovered that the man who launched the Protestant Reformation when he nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg was not without blemish.
 
In particular, I learned that the Great Reformer, who translated the New Testament from Greek into particularly eloquent German and helped shape today's language, had an anti-Semitic streak. He felt the greatest threats to Christianity were the Pope (understandable, given the corruption in Rome at the time), a Turkish invasion (they made it to Vienna twice) and Judaism (perhaps a little narrow-minded). Luther's anti-semitism reflected the general feeling of the Middle Ages. However his writings were used four centuries later by the Nazis to try and justify their own ideology. I also found that for all his anti-authoritarian rhetoric, Luther was no friend of the common man. The social unrest that emerged in Germany in the 16th century, due partly to Luther's defiance of the Church, led to the Peasants War of 1524-25. But a document by Luther entitled Against the Rapacious, Murderous Peasant Hordes helped to defend the existing social order and put down the revolt. By criticising the Church, Luther wanted to strengthen it rather than see it disintegrate. Luther also heralded the media age. Due to the printing press, Luther's writings got a fast and widespread distribution, particularly as Wittenberg was for a short time at the heart of the printing industry. Hitting the Martin Luther trail One of the most important things to know before you start on the Luther trail is that there are two Wittenbergs. Wittenberge (silent 'e') is a grey little town wholly unconnected to Luther, but with friendly tourist office staff who try not to laugh too hard when they tell you you're in the wrong town and you've just completely wasted your day. Lutherstadt Wittenberg, south-west of Berlin, is the place you want. The main towns connected with Luther include Eisenach, Erfurt, Eisleben and Wittenberg. Wittenberg is the main town on the route and the starting point for any Reformation tour. The well-restored Renaissance town is where Luther lived for most of his life and where he nailed his 95 theses to the church door. These days, Lutherhaus is open and offers tours after extensive renovation. At the same time, all the main sights on a Luther tour are along Collegienstrase and Schlostrase (the first turns into the later) in the Altstadt. The first highlight is Melanchthonhaus, a three-storey townhouse that belonged to Luther's collaborator, Philipp Melanchthon. Along with standardising the way we learn history and reforming the German education system, Melanchthon helped Luther translate the bible. Don't miss the twin-towered Stadtkirche St Marien where Luther preached and which houses the famous Reformation altar by Cranach and his son. It shows figures such as Melanchthon, Luther and Cranach in biblical contexts. Also look out for The Lord's Vineyard by Cranach the younger. There are two Cranach houses, but the one with the exhibition is at Markt 4. It has numerous portraits of Luther and a large Ten Commandments Panel. A leading German Renaissance painter, Cranach the Elder was Luther's official portraitist and provided much pictorial propaganda for the Reformation. Luther's German translation of the New Testament, written at Wartburg Castle, was printed in Cranach's workshop with financial assistance from the artist. At the western end of town is the Schlosskirche, which houses Luther and Melanchthon's tombstones. The original doors where Luther is reputed to have nailed his theses in 1517 burned down in 1760. Bronze doors inscribed with Luther's 95 theses now serve as a memorial to a highly disputed event. What is not under attack, however, is the fact the theses changed Europe and western civilisation. The theses, which Luther wrote in Latin merely as discussion points for the clergy, attacked the Pope's sale of "indulgences" - paper certificates guaranteeing relief from punishment in purgatory - which were to help fund wars and the rebuilding of St Peter's. Luther's idea of "justification by faith alone": that a person could only gain redemption through faith not money, signalled a religious awakening in northern Europe and led to the eventual split between Church and State. After Wittenberg, I found Eisenach the most interesting place on the itinerary. Here you can visit Luther's childhood home, but the nearby home of JS Bach's is far more interesting. The real draw, however, is Wartburg Castle. Perched on top of a blustery hill, the medieval castle is where Luther translated the New Testament after being "abducted" by the Elector of Saxony. Luther was hidden in the castle after he refused to retract his comments at the Diet of Worms. Luther was summoned by Emperor Charles V to Worms in 1520 to publicly recant his doctrines. His rejection came in the now famous statement: "Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God. Amen." Thanks to souvenir hunters, who started scratching their names into the wooden walls of Luther's study shortly after his death, the only original thing left is a whale vertebrae that Luther used as a footstool. The infamous ink stain - when Luther said he had "driven out the devil with ink'' - was diligently touched up by castle authorities until 100 years ago, and has since been removed. The story always seemed more metaphorical than literal. The only way to see inside the castle is a 30-minute guided tour that is all in German, so ask for the English translation pamphlet when you buy your ticket. Even in the depths of winter, the castle is popular - get there before 11am for a tour. Eisenach is about 40 minutes from Erfurt, a famous university town where Luther studied and preached. The old medieval city centre is well-preserved and Erfurt is worth a weekend in itself. The main Luther sights include the Augustinerkloster, where Luther was a monk from 1505 to 1511. Luther's cell is open to the public and according to the guidebook, there are 40 guest rooms in the monastery for visitors. The attached café is run by an order of female Protestant nuns and is ridiculously cheap. Just watch out for the senior citizens it attracts: one nearly karate kicked the toilet door down on me. The Gothic Michaeliskirche is a small, rather plain church where Luther preached. Diagonally opposite is an arched portal, the Collegium Majus, the only original part of the university remaining. In Eisleben, 30km from Halle, you can visit the houses where Luther was born and died, as well as the impressive Andreaskirche where Luther gave his last sermons. Luther's Sterbehaus shows his study and death bed as well as a copy of his death mask. There are more bibles than you can poke a stick at and there are helpful English information sheets that explain different aspects of the Reformation. Most museums mentioned cost around EUR 2.50 for adults, except Wartburg castle, which cost EUR 5.50. Three of the towns mentioned are in Thuringia and within close proximity of one another. The only exception is Lutherstadt Wittenberg, which is in Saxony Anhalt. For more information: Eisenach: www.eisenach-tourist.de
Erfurt: www.erfurt-tourist-info.de
Eisleben: www.talknet.de/-ah1eil/
Lutherstadt Wittenberg: www.wittenberg.de/


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