Today was very hot. It was over 100 degrees for most of the day. I tried carrying one of the huge Viking umbrellas like a little tree over me. It worked great but made picture taking awkward, so if some of the photos are sideways or cut off at the top, you know why. Bloody hot!

Today was another Martin Luther day. Our tour guide said that he thinks that Martin Luther’s achievements have been nicely sprinkled throughout East Germany purely for tourism. Maybe so. 

Here, there were two churches, and despite the heat, we walked the distance from one to the other, about a mile. There was the Castle Church, rebuilt after some damage— the old looks new and the new looks old. The Castle Church was a privately built church with a small congregation. This is where Luther (1483-1546) chose to pound his 95 suggestions for change in the Catholic Church because this was a church most closely connected to the university and people were able to read what he suggested. At St. Mary’s, where Luther actually preached, no one could read, which was part of the problem he was trying to address.

(If you know all this, skip to the photos.)

Frederick the Wise, the Prince-Elector, built the Castle Church and was also the founder of the University where Luther taught theology in the middle 1500’s. So that’s enough of the history. Google the rest and fact-check, please.

Everything in Wittenberg has been newly renovated since the reunification of East and West Germany, but gradually. Since nothing here was bombed, the 400-year-old buildings need just the usual upkeep, which is expensive and hard for the East Germans to pay for. This area has strong tourism because of Martin Luther, which is a real Godsend— no pun intended!

The castle became a church 400 years ago. It was badly bombed during the 30 years war, and rebuilt in the middle 1400’s so all of the architecture is about the same. Thankfully, it was untouched in WW2.

Prince Frederick, who became Luther’s sponsor and later protector, collected 19,000 official relics. He paid a lot for his “authentic” pieces of the cross and bits of the shroud, so he charged a bit for viewing them, also granting indulgences for the tour.  Even though he was Luther’s friend, his side business might have inspired at least one of the theses. 

Luther could do little about the government, but certainly call out the corruption in the church. After he nailed his 95 theses to the church door, he needed protection, which Frederick granted. 

The Castle Church, associated with the university, where people could read, and the site of the famed door. Luther is buried under the pulpit. The Castle Church has no congregation. Now just 120 members. St. Mary’s, Luther’s church has 2,000 members.

Luther was protected by Frederick, who died Catholic. Martin died 1546, just as the European religious wars began.  Good time to leave the planet!

Luther married Katrina, a former nun who was well educated and strong.  At 26 yrs old, she had no rights as a woman, but she had lots of skills. She could do the books, give a big party, knit, sew, and raise educated children. She and Luther had 6. 

Back to the ship for a short rest and lunch, then back out into the hot sun we went for