Mini-Reformation Tour, part 4

Today was a true history lesson!

Mom, Stephanie (who was finally able to join us after being stuck in Berlin from the wind storm), and I made the trip from Wittenberg to Eisenach today to go visit the famous Wartburg Castle.

What none of us realized was that Wartburg is has significance far beyond it’s association with Martin Luther. 

Getting to castle is quite the hike. It lies on a large hill on the other side of Eisenach from the Hauptbahnhof. Along the path are signs with several important events of Luther’s life leading to the foot of the hill. Once you get there, it’s another good 30 minutes of uphill treking before reaching the entrance to the castle. 

The traditional way to visit the castle was by donkey, and the donkeys were actually there! Unfortunately, it was voted against actually paying to ride them, so I had to settle for taking a picture of their cute little faces. 

The castle is quite striking as it comes into view and looms ever larger the closer you get. 

The courtyard of the castle was bustling with visitors of all ages, and had some special attractions itself. A nice touch for those like us who had hiked the whole way up. 

The best one involved steps (hooray…): the south tower gave an amazing view of Eisenach and the surrounding hill country. It was definitely worth the Euro and the adding walking.

To go inside the castle, you had to purchase a ticket. The price included entrance to some special exhibits that were curated for the Reformation festivities as well as the regular rooms of the tour. 

Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside the castle. But what we saw was simply amazing. 

The castle was built around the year 1200, and had become well known not long after for the Hungarian princess, Elisabeth, who married the ruler of the castle and chose to use her status for the benefit of the common people. She was canonized after her death for her short 24 years of life in service. 

The next major event at Wartburg was the reason most people were there: Martin Luther’s “kidnapping” and safekeeping after his refusal to recant at the Diet of Worms. At one point in the tour, you get to see the room where Luther worked tirelessly on a German translation of the New Testsment. 

Fun fact: several German versions of the Bible already existed before Luther’s, but most were quickly confiscated and also not of great quality. Luther’s not only had popularity and clout, but was well researched from the original manuscripts and actually informed much of the development of the modern German language. 

Wartburg Castle continued to hold significance throughout the centuries. It played a central role in the call to a united Germany after the Naploeanic Wars. It was seen as an important an valuable symbol during both World Wars. 

In short, Wartburg has become a stalwart of German history and identity. It was a blessing to come and learn not only about Luther’s time there, but all that it has meant through the history of Germany. 

We spent so much time at the castle that we didn’t get a chance to see anything else of Eisenach. But that’s ok, it just means we have to return. 🙂

Tomorrow is the big day! Look forward to some great pictures and stories! 

-Wandering Minstrelette

Mini-Reformation Tour, part 3

First, I would like to say that my mother and I are safe. The wind storms that have been blowing through Northern Europe and Berlin has announced a state of emergency. Here in Wittenberg, we had rain and strong winds, but nothing too extreme. 

Secondly, WE’RE IN WITTENBERG.

Schloßkirche, or Castle Church

I have wanted to visit this historic site for years, and the fact that I was able to come at such a high time is amazing. 

Our AirBnb hosts, Michael and Gudrun, have been wonderful to us. Not only did they pick up up last night, but Gudrun dropped us off early this morning in the middle of town to explore. 

And I’m so glad! It allowed us to visit Schloßkirche (Castle Church) before the crowds began to arrive. Let me tell you, standing before the Theses Doors, where Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, has me a little “star-struck.” 

The original doors are no longer there, unfortunately, but the new ones fully depict the Theses and caused me to pause and imagine the moment that a rebellious, truth-seeking monk acted out a thought that would change the world forever. 

There’s a lot more I could share, but I think I’ll save that for the end of the trip. 😉

After visiting the visitor’s center, we discovered that the church was holding a service, so we decided to join. The inside of Schloßkirche is very beautiful, and it seems to have had a lot of work done on it since Luther’s time. 

Both Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon are buried there, and an original printed copy of the Theses and a few other documents are on display under the magnificently carved pulpit. 

Luther’s Theses printed by Jakob Thanner in Leipzig in 1517; only 87 are on this page. I believe the others are on the reverse.

Mommy and I would have had a chance to go through the Theses Doors if we (meaning I) hadn’t spent so much time looking at things. But we ended up discovering a visitor’s center/museum attached to the church filled with amazing images and information. 

You know, as a child I never enjoyed history. Now, I can’t seem to get enough of it. Somewhere along the way, I made the connection of how the past affected my present, and it’s relevance suddenly helped me not only find it interesting but enjoyable to study. 

So going through this center was like being in a candy shop for me. Not only was there a lot of information about Luther, but other lesser known Reformers that had just as significant of a role in spreading the new found truths of Scripture to the world. Not everyone got the limelight, but that does not in any way diminish their work or accomplishments. 

Many of these, such as Jonas Justus, Johannesburg Bugenhagen, Lucas Cranach, Johannesburg von Staupitz, and others were remarkable educators, supporters, and believers of Martin Luther and the mission God had endowed him. 

It’s important to remember that the Reformation was not a one man show, but a movement that began long before Luther and is continuing long after. Being here in Wittenberg, where Luther worked and lived, has helped me understand this more than ever before. 

The afternoon was spent walking around the city, enjoying the other historic attractions and watching people prepare the medieval market place that tomorrow will be filled much celebration. I’m going on Tuesday, so no worries–there will be pictures. 



We also visited Lutherhaus, on the opposite side of Wittenberg from Schloßkirche. A museum made of and built around Luther’s home, it was filled with artifacts of his life, told his story, and shared his legacy. 

A very fancy pulpit

A copy of Luther’s German New Testament with woodcut images. This is depicting a scene from Revelation.

An original copy of Luther’s “Table Talk,” written conversations that Luther and his friends had around a table discussing theological ideas.

The remains of what used to be Luther’s study room.

When I saw one of the letters written in Luther’s own hand, I will admit I teared up. Not necessarily because the document of great historical or theological significance, but the fact that it was something Luther had touched… It made me wonder about the person he was, the thoughts he had, the emotions he felt, the trials he went through…

It was not unlike the feel I had standing before the Ishtar Gates when I was in Berlin two years ago. 

I felt I was before some sort of timecapsule, and it was incredibly humbling. 

A letter to Kaiser Karl V from Martin Luther explaining why he chose not to recant at the Diet of Worms.

Have you ever had a moment like that? 
So, we had a day full of Luther today and will likely have it so again tomorrow. 

Barring any train cancellations, we hope to be in Eisenach to gain some more insight and for some new adventures. 

Until tomorrow!

-Wandering Minstrelette 

Mini-Reformation Tour, part 2

I was blessed to attend New Life SDA Church this morning once again after two years. There were many faces I was so excited to see. I made several new acquaintances as well. 

New Life SDA welcoming visitors

I had the honoring of singing for the church service and was blessed to be used to touch the congregation.

Stephanie got the memo about the dresses… 😉

 

New friends Lynda and Ogechi

Anjie, who accompanied me during the service. It was a blessing to see her again!

From left: Claudette, Glenda, and Amy. One old and two new friends.

Helen, my sweet and wonderful host who took great care of me two years ago and welcomed my mother and I back with open arms for this short stay in Berlin.

The service and the potluck afterwards was filled with joy and fellowship. I was sorry to leave this community again so soon. 

But the adventure must continue!

Mom and I had a train to catch in the evening, but we thought we could squeeze one more sightseeing adventure before leaving Berlin. 

We tried the Pergamon Museum, the Berliner Dom…but it was not meant to be. The lines were long and the time was short. The weather wasn’t helping either (finally had a chance to use my new rain jacket from REI!), so we took a few pictures and went on to the Hauptbanhof. 

Mom and Stephanie posing in front of the Berliner Dom.

One question to those who live or have visited Germany, have you found it hard to find free water or am I just not looking in the right places? 

I haven’t found a place to fill my water bottle since the airport in Baltimore and for someone who’s gotten used to drinking at least 40oz a day… I’m a bit desperate, haha. 

It just seems silly to have buy a bottle of water to then put it in my bottle but… that might be what I have to do. If anyone has any tips or advice, let me know!

Anyways, mom and I caught a train to Wittenberg and are excited to be “officially” beginning our mini-Reformation tour tomorrow. 🙂 

I look forward to sharing our adventure with you!

-Wandering Minstrelette

You can follow me on Instagram (@wanderingminstrelette) for more photos from my travels!

Mini-Reformation Tour, part 1

Hello everyone!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written… There were a couple of trips that I’ve been on since my last blog post, but I’ll hold writing on them for a later date. 

I am currently in Germany, and wow, it’s good to be back. My German skills seem to have diminished some, but my memory of the city of Berlin was surprisingly intact. 

Why am I in Germany?

For the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, of course!

My family, friends, and co-workers who have heard me rave about this since October of last year are probably tired of hearing about it. But I cannot explain how excited I am to be “in the room where it happens,” per-say, when it comes to this historic mark of events that changed the world. 

Over the next few days I’ll be writing about my adventures and discoveries in three towns where Martin Luther, one of the spiritual giants of the Protestant Reformation, lived and worked. 

I hope you will choose to come along for the ride. 🙂

Before the mini-tour begins, however, I am happy to say that I was able to spend a day and a half in Berlin to visit dear friends and show my mom, who’s joined me on this adventure, the sights of her very first continental European city. 

Enjoy some of our photos from today excursions (after about 10 hours of traveling. I’ll write more about my experience with WOW Airlines later…). 

Mommy standing on the line where the Berlin Wall once crosses the city.

I would love to get comments from you. Let me know things I should see while here. What are some of your favorite quotes from Luther or other reformers? 

Thanks for being a part of the community of this blog!