This Sabbatical has been a treasure of historical gems. We have done more than visit great and inspiring historical sites, we have immersed ourselves in history by living in unbelievable historical homes. We stayed in an exquisite Italian Villa that is over 1,000 years old. We returned to our beloved farmhouse on the famed Via Francigena that the Archbishop of Canterbury visited in 990 AD.
We stayed in a Medieval hotel in Rothenburg that started as a tollhouse in 1264 AD. But we were about to experience the most amazing historical setting of all, for our little hotel in Wittenberg was not just a witness to the Reformation, it played a leading role!
We took a taxi Wednesday morning to the little train station in Rothenburg. Our trip to Wittenberg included two very tight connections, but we didn’t have quite the drama that we had getting to Rothenburg.
The short trip from Rothenburg to Steinach has two stops, but the train only stops if people are waiting. Since no one was waiting at either station, the train kept going and we arrived in Steinach early. This gave us six minutes, rather than four, for us to move from platform 5 to 3. We were actually standing by the track at platform 3 before the train to Ansbach arrived. We had another four-minute window in Ansbach to catch the train to Nurnberg, but when we arrived at the Ansbach station we learned that the Nurnberg train was actually running late.
We waited for 20 minutes before it finally arrived. We originally had 48 minutes in Nurnberg before catching the high-speed train to Wittenberg, now we had 28 minutes. I felt like I better reserve us some seats, but when I went into the room where the agents were located, there was a long line. Everyone takes a number like you do at the doctor’s office. But since I had first-class tickets, my number came up next and the friendly agent told me there were only 7 more seats left on the train in first class. I paid her 12 Euros to reserve two of those remaining seats and we went to the platform to catch the ICE train that pulled in precisely on time.
Two and ½ hours later we got off the train in Wittenberg, found a taxi and went to the “Alte Canzley Hotel.” I reserved our room almost a year and ½ ago. This lovely little hotel only has nine rooms, each one named after a great reformer. Our room, quite appropriately, is the Martin Luther King Room.
You may recall the story that when the great 20th
Century reformer was born, his name was Michael King, Jr. His father, the Rev. Michael King, Sr, (Daddy
King), made a pilgrimage with other ministers to the Holy Land in the
1930s. On the way back, they attended
the Baptist World Alliance that was meeting in Berlin. One day they decided to take a trip to
Wittenberg and see where Martin Luther started the Reformation. Dr. King, Sr., was so inspired by visiting
Wittenberg that when he returned home he changed his name, and his son’s name,
to Martin Luther King.
We walked into our room and dropped our jaws. This is the largest hotel room we have ever seen! It is actually like a small apartment. There are four windows facing the street. When we look out of our hotel windows, we see the doors of Castle Church where Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517! But this old house predates the Reformation by over 125 years! When Columbus “Sailed the Ocean Blue in 1492” this house was already a hundred years old.
It is named “Alte Canzley” which means “Old
Chancellery” because for centuries this house had been the residence of
powerful Saxon Kings residing in Wittenberg.
Fredrick the Wise, who played such a key role in the Reformation and was
actually appointed “Holy Roman Emperor” (but declined to serve due to his age)
lived here. If Fredrick the Wise had not
protected Martin Luther, Luther would have never survived and we would have
never heard his name.
As recently as the 500th anniversary of
the Reformation two years ago, Royalty from Sweden stayed here at the Alte
Canzley.
This is one of the oldest buildings in Wittenberg.
Most significant to the Reformation is
that in 1521, just four years after the 95 Theses, Chancellor Justus Jonas,
moved into this spacious home. He was a
key figure in the Reformation along with Luther and Melanchthon. As a master of Latin and Greek, he helped
Luther with his final edition of the German translation of the Bible, a feat
that is as important to Western history as the Reformation itself.
Luther, Melanchthon, Jonas, and other key leaders
in the Reformation met at this house often.
They dined here and discussed theology and important developments in the
ongoing dispute with Rome. As I said,
this house was not just a witness to the Reformation, it was part of it! And we are staying here! Waking up to look out our window on the doors
to the Castle Church where Luther nailed the 95 Theses—wow! It can be argued that the pivotal event in
Western Civilization, the most significant event in the last 1,000 years, took
place outside of our window and this house was a major part of it! Oh my!
I can’t believe where we are staying!
I’m like a kid in a candy shop!
But before we disappeared completely into the
sixteenth century, we were brought back to the twenty-first century when our
host excitedly informed us that there was a big musical festival in town. A number of different groups were playing at
different venues around Wittenberg this night, including a group at the Alte
Canzley. There is a garden with a stage
behind the hotel. The group that was
playing here is named Jakkle. They play jazz,
swing music, and rock n’ roll. They said
they would play “Old school music that makes you dance!”
When we opened the back window that is right
beside our bed, we can see the outdoor garden and the stage. But first, we had a delicious German meal in
the same dining room where Martin Luther, Justus Jonas, Philip Melanchthon, and
others huddled to exchange revolutionary ideas.
Then we went upstairs to the second floor to our
room. We opened the window and listened
to the music, watching the crowd below.
It was a cool evening and there was a fire around which everyone
gathered. The band was quite good---I’m
not sure how long they played because I went to sleep. But I’ve decided that is the best way to
attend a concert. Get a hotel room over
the venue so you can rest and relax while the band plays on!
We spent all day Thursday immersing ourselves in
Reformation history in the city of Wittenberg.
It was another gorgeous, cloudless day.
When I woke up early Thursday morning the Castle Church and its massive
tower were glowing in the bright, morning light. The morning temperature was 39 degrees, but
it warmed up quickly to make a lovely day.
After breakfast, Joyce and I walked through the
old city of Wittenberg on our way to the Lutherhaus. The city was almost deserted because this day
is Ascension Day which is a holiday in Germany.
(That explains why they had the big music festival the night before.).
Wittenberg is a beautiful city and it is evident
they went all out to improve the city and spruce things up for the 500th
Anniversary of the Reformation back in 2017.
It is clean and attractive. The
sidewalks and streets are wide and made for easy walking. You can easily walk from one end of town to
the other in around 20 minutes.
We stopped in the Markplatz with its Renaissance
Rathous. In the center of the square
stands Martin Luther holding a Bible. To
his right you will find Philip Melanchton, his brainy colleague. We kept walking to the end of the street
where we entered the Lutherhaus. We were
fortunate that very few people were there.
For most of the tour we were by ourselves.
This huge “house” was originally a monastery. In fact, Luther lived there when he first
came to Wittenberg. After Luther had
been officially excommunicated and the Reformation was becoming a reality, he
married Katharina von Bora, his “dear Katie.”
The building was given to Luther as a wedding gift by one of the prince
electors who was protecting him. There
is a statue of Katharina in the courtyard.
Luther turned all the responsibilities of the house over to her. She rented out rooms to students and other
guests, planted gardens, bred cattle, and brewed what Martin called, “the best
beer in all of Germany.” At dinner each night in the refectory, Luther would
lead the discussions. These spirited
conversations would often continue after dinner in the ”Lutherstube” where
students would often take notes on what Luther would say. After his death, these were published as
Luther’s “Table Talks.”
This may be the best museum on Martin Luther and
the Reformation anywhere. Even though we
will be back in Wittenberg for a day next week while we are on our Viking
Cruise, I wanted to be able to spend much more time here. The museum has some remarkable historical
items. There is an indulgence chest and
an original letter of indulgence. There
is an original letter that Luther wrote to the Emperor after the Diet of Worms
explaining his epic refusal to recant and also thanking the Emperor for his
safety. We saw Luther’s pulpit from the Town Church of St. Mary, where Luther
preached over 2,000 sermons. There are marvelous paintings of Luther and of
Luther and Katharina. You will find a
1534 German Bible, the first edition of Luther’s monumental translation. There is also one of the first hymnbooks with
Luther’s epic hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” And most interesting is a recent discovery,
Luther’s toilet.
Luther had well documented digestive issues his
entire life and he was often obsessed with sharing too many crude details about
his battles with constipation. He shared
that he spent much of his time in contemplation on the toilet, and that is
where he received many great revelations.
He even wrote that his great moment of discovery that led to the
Reformation, took place on the toilet.
Luther gave us more information than we wanted to know! He could be very crude and vulgar at times.
German archaeologists discovered what may be the
world’s most famous toilet in 2004. The
450-year-old toilet was very advanced for its time. It is made out of stone blocks and has a
cesspit with a drainage system beneath it.
The first thing the lady did when we purchased our tickets was invite us
to go see his toilet, which we did!
After a fascinating tour of the Lutherhaus, we
decided to visit a 360-degree panorama painting of Wittenberg in the year 1517
by Berlin artist Yadegar Asisi. Rick
Steves has a fairly good review of this, but places it a low priority and says
it is overpriced. I probably would not
have gone, but our host at the hotel told me it was an amazing experience. The entrance fee was 11 Euros per person with
an additional 3 Euros for the audio guide.
I would disagree with Rick Steves on this one. This was a highlight of our Wittenberg
experience and well worth the 14 Euros.
This awe-inspiring 360-degree painting covers
12,000 square feet and is complete with light and sound effects. Using a combination of photographed models
and digitally reconstructed historic buildings, Asisi has done a masterful job
recreating a day in the life of Wittenberg in 1517.
Yadegar Asisi has created a number of these
amazing panoramic paintings around eastern Germany. This was obviously created for the 500th
Anniversary of the Reformation and is scheduled to end on October 31, 2021.
We were glad we had the audio guides. We learned things about the painting that we
would have certainly missed otherwise.
It also helped to place everything in a great historical
perspective. After visiting the
Lutherhaus and now the panoramic painting, we felt we had a fairly good
understanding of events that led to the moment that shattered world history on
October 31, 1517.
Our next stop was the Town Church of St. Mary,
which is the oldest building in town.
The Castle Church that we would visit later was the University
Church. St. Mary’s was the Parish Church
and for most of his life, this was Luther’s Church where he preached over 2,000
sermons.
It was in this church on Christmas Day, 1521, that
the first-ever Protestant worship service was conducted. All of the readings were in German, not
Latin. Communion was taken by everyone,
not just the priests, and hymns were sung by the congregation!
One of the most interesting fixtures in the church
is the old baptismal font where all of Luther’s children were baptized. There is a tube that runs from the basin to
the floor, so the water that has washed away sin can be drained away. But the most interesting feature is a group
of demons around the lower legs. They
are attempting to get to the one being baptized, but above them on each leg is
one of the Saints who impedes their progress.
We found a little Italian place where we ordered
our usual, Rocket Salad and Margherita Pizza, then continued to the Church of
All Saints, better known as the “Castle Church.” This is where on October 31, 1517, Luther
nailed the 95 Theses to the Chapel Door.
There is robust debate whether he actually nailed the Theses or not, but
in the end, it really does not matter.
All Luther really wanted to do was to have a learned and academic debate
with his fellow theologians. He never
intended to start a movement that would lead to a new church, the only
“reforming” he was interested in was within the church itself. But through a series of factors; political,
social, economic, theological, and a new device called the “Printing Press”
Luther’s ideas went viral and touched nerves everywhere. The bottom line is that Luther was in the
right place at the right time with the right circumstances for reform to take
place.
I did not know before coming to Wittenberg that
the Castle Church of Luther’s day no longer exists. The church of Luther burned down in 1760
during the Seven Years’ War. But the
church that stands there today, built like the Castle Church of Luther’s day,
was constructed in the late 19th Century as a memorial to Luther and
the reformers. However, the arch over
the “Theses Doors” is the original that dates back to Luther’s day. Prominently buried in the church are Luther,
Melanchthon, and Fredrick the Wise.
The Castle Church was the University church. St. Mary’s was the local parish church. The general public didn’t normally have
access to the Castle Church, but All Saint’s Day was an exception. This adds credence to the argument that
Luther actually posted his 95 Theses the day before knowing that the entire
town would be coming to the church the next day. Most didn’t read Latin, but they would want
to know what all the fuss was about.
We had a special, unexpected treat Thursday
afternoon. We worshiped with other
believers in the Castle Church.
Wittenberg has a volunteer English Ministry. They sponsor worship services in Castle
Church and the small chapel beside St. Mary’s.
A Lutheran Minister from the US will donate two weeks of his or her time. There is also a couple from California who
donated their time to work with the ministry.
They will be in Wittenberg for six weeks.
We met the Rev. Grace Gravelle from Cologne,
Minnesota. She said that she has been on
a waiting list for two years and that she is the only female minister on the
schedule this year. She led the service
that she described as “very Lutheran.” I
told her that even though I was a Baptist minister, I could be Lutheran when I
needed to. I told her about the great
relationship we have with the Lutheran churches in our community.
She brought a very nice homily on Luke 24: 44-53
in honor of Ascension Day. The highlight
of the service was singing Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our
God.” As long as I live I will never
forget standing in Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany and singing “A Mighty
Fortress.”
I had one more thing I needed to do. I paid my 3 Euros and climbed to the top of
the tower at Castle Church. It was quite
a climb of 289 steps, all up a winding staircase—the last part up a small metal
winding ladder. The view was spectacular
as this visit to Wittenberg has been!
We dined again at the Alte Canzley, outdoors
behind the house. Back in our room I
looked out over the Chapel Doors. I
still cannot believe that we have been staying right in the middle of the
greatest revolution of the past 1,000 years!
The next morning, I was talking to our gracious
host and I asked him if he knew the story of how Martin Luther King got his
name. He did know that his name was not
originally Martin Luther, but did not know the story. I shared with him about Michael King, Sr.
coming with a group of ministers to Wittenberg and being so inspired that he
went home and changed his name and the name of his young son. As I told the story, I pointed across the
street to the Chapel Doors and said, “He was standing right there. He was so moved that he changed his name.”
At this point our host shared something very
personal and very sad with me. He said,
“I hear stories like this. I see people, like you, who come here because of
their faith. I can see the passion and
see the difference this place makes for them.
But I cannot share this experience.
I was born here in Wittenberg.
But we were under the Communist regime.
We were socialists. We did not
believe in religion. So I have never
confessed my faith and I cannot share what you and others experience.”
He was very sad because he knew he was missing so
much.
I told him, “It’s never too late.”
Then he pointed to his heart and said, “I
understand. It is a matter of the
heart.”
I think Luther would agree.
A taxi came to take us to the train station. Berlin was just up the way. Another adventure awaits us!
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