The Luther House in Wittenberg

For over 35 years, the Luther House was the main place of activity of the reformer. Built as an Augustinian monastery, it served as Martin Luther's home from 1508 - first as a monk, later together with his family. Here he had his "Reformation discovery," here he lectured to students from all over Europe, here he produced his writings that changed the world.

Today, the Luther House is open to the public as the largest museum of Reformation history in the world. It opened its doors to visitors as early as 1883.

This monument was designed by the Halle artist Michael Krenz to commemorate the forging action of September 24, 1983. Friedrich Schorlemmer, many Wittenberg citizens and numerous guests set a sign of civil courage at that time in the Lutherhof by their courageous stand for peace and democracy. The monument stands in the Lutherhof.

The refectory is one of the most impressive rooms in the Luther House. Luther's relatives and guests probably gathered here for meals. Today, the room is dominated by the large painting panel of the Ten Commandments.

Lucas Cranach and his workshop created this panel on behalf of the Wittenberg council. The magistrate thus had the law of God before his eyes when he exercised his jurisdiction. In the depictions of the individual commandments, the picture shows a wealth of details from everyday life at the beginning of the 16th century.

The statue of Saint Anne commemorates a drastic turnaround in Luther's life. On July 2, 1505, he was caught in a storm near Stotternheim. Frightened by lightning, he vowed, "Help me, Saint Anne, I will become a monk!" and joined a monastery two weeks later.

Luther joined the order of the Augustinian Hermits, to which this robe from the early 16th century can also be assigned. Whether Luther really wore it himself can no longer be proven today.

From this wooden pulpit, Martin Luther preached on indulgences, among other things, in the Wittenberg City Church in the spring of 1517.

The money from the sale of indulgences was collected in the indulgence chest. These were locked with at least three locks, so that the agents of the Fuggers and the Pope could only get to the money together.

Luther first sent his 95 theses to fellow scholars, who then printed them. The Basel copy on display in the Luther House is one of the few surviving printed copies. The theses were primarily concerned with the abuse of indulgences.

Luther's sons sold the Luther House to the university for 3,700 guilders on September 27, 1564. The deed of sale shows the seals of the sons, who also used their father's rose motif.

Luther's lasting legacy can be seen above all in the writings he left behind, which continue to have an impact to the present day. First and foremost is his translation of the Bible, which shaped the development of the German language like no other book.

This hymnal contains the first print of Luther's most famous hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".

To this day, the large parlor shows something of the Luther family's wealth. Even if the few pieces of furniture are not original to the Luther family, they still date from the 16th century. In this respect, the furniture may well correspond to the original furnishings.

After the Imperial Diet in Worms, Luther wrote a letter to Emperor Charles V on his return journey, in which he explained once again why he could not recant his writings. Although he expressly thanked the emperor in the letter for the escort he had received, the electoral secretary Spalatin found no one to present it to the emperor.

The portrait from the Cranach workshop shows an aged but still powerful reformer.

This room commemorates Luther's activity as a professor in Wittenberg. Very likely, Luther held lectures in the Black Monastery until about 1520. The baroque university cathedral from the 17th century shows paintings by Jacob Johann Marchand.

After the reform of the church service, the chalice was also brought to the laity during the distribution of the Lord's Supper. For this purpose, larger communion cups had to be purchased, often leaving the shaft and only enlarging the chalice.

In the Leipzig Disputation of 1519, Martin Luther and Johann Eck competed against each other. The lectern illustrates the situation in which the two opponents faced each other behind lecterns.

During the disputation, the speaking time was also fixed and limited. This pulpit clock testifies to that.

During Luther's stay at Wartburg Castle, he translated the New Testament into German. In March 1522, he brought the work back to Wittenberg, where he revised it with Philipp Melanchthon. In September, the first printed and unusually large edition of 3,000 copies appeared. As early as December, a second edition had to be reprinted.

The indulgence slip was given to the faithful against payment. The confession form allowed them to make a full confession once in their life and at the hour of death and receive forgiveness for it. The indulgence slip issued is one of only five surviving copies of this St. Peter's indulgence.

The Common Box was established to provide for the city's poor and for the orderly administration of the church's income. The income was used, among other things, to pay the priests, to maintain the church buildings, and to care for the poor and the sick.

After Luther's death in Eisleben, the Elector of Saxony, against the will of the Counts of Mansfeld, arranged for the body to be transferred to Wittenberg. While still in Eisleben, a drawing of the dead Luther was made, which served as the model for this portrait of the dead.

In this woodcut, Luther also appears as an aged but powerful reformer. It shows the baptism of Christ, but not in the Jordan River, but in the Elbe River before Wittenberg. The electoral family is present as witnesses.

Against the will of the Leipzig University, the Saxon Duke George ordered a public disputation in Leipzig between Martin Luther and Johann Eck, which caused a considerable stir in academic circles.

On December 10, 1520, Luther burned a copy of the Bannandrohungsbulle in front of the Elstertor in Wittenberg amidst a large crowd of students, along with works of canon law and writings by his opponents.

This etching depicts Luther wearing a doctor's hat. This documents his public claim as a "sworn doctor of the Holy Scriptures". The image in strict profile was previously reserved for secular and ecclesiastical dignitaries.

This engraving is the oldest surviving portrait of Luther. The signature reads in translation: "Luther himself has immortalized the evidence of his spirit, whereas Lucas' (Cranach) portrayal is ephemeral."

The traditional service, centered on the mass, strictly separated the clergy from the laity. The priest was distinguished from the common faithful by a choir robe and such a richly decorated chasuble. Luther reformed the service.

View into the "glass connector", the entrance building to the Augusteum.