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Events Calendar
In 2022 and 2023, the Wittenberg Sunday Lectures will be dedicated to the topic of new beginnings. Three lectures are planned in loose succession this year and next. Dr. Volkmar Joestel. He takes the audience back to the time of Wittenberg in 1521/22 - that was a city without Luther. He was at the Wartburg. Through his courageous appearance in front of the Worms Reichstag, he had become a national hero and the year before he had presented a church and social reform program with the publication "To the Christian Nobility". Now people expected action, and in the absence of the charismatic leader, Luther, began to do so himself. In Wittenberg, students and citizens stormed monasteries and attacked priests and monks. The Augustinians, mostly Lutherans, dissolved their monastery. Melanchthon distributed communion to his students in both kinds. A highlight was the first ever evangelical church service on Christmas Day 1521 in the Castle Church. In January, reformed city ordinances followed with a reform of the church service, but also the establishment of a "common box" to support the poor and poor craftsmen and to maintain the hospitals.
What did people hope and expect back then? Why was the controversy over the sacrament of the Lord's Supper so important? Why didn't Luther like that? And what do we think about it today? Dr. Joestel in this Sunday lecture.
Dr. Joestel worked as a historian at the Lutherhaus for over 30 years. Scientifically, he dealt primarily with one of the main actors of the "Wittenberg Movement" of 1521/22, Luther's comrade-in-arms and later opponent Andreas Bodenstein, known as Doctor Karlstadt. Another focus of his work was Luther myths and legends.
The first Sunday lecture will take place on April 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the auditorium of the Evangelical Preacher Seminary on the top floor of the castle. Access is via the visitor center in the Castle Church.
Afterwards we cordially invite you to the presentation of the new book from the last year entitled “Alt. And full of life? a. This is available for the event at a special price, later in the visitor center and on our homepage.
Christmas Eve Collection for "Bread for the World" Dear Congregations – our festive table is laden with food – but we also want to make a statement and share our Christmas joy with others. Share your Christmas joy with people in Kenya! The Christmas Eve collection is designated for a project of Bread for the World's partner, the Anglican Church in Kenya. With your offering, you will help to secure food supplies in a region of Kenya. Here, people are learning how to cultivate fruit and vegetable gardens, raise animals, and irrigate with rainwater. Let's use the collection to enable the sharing of knowledge, because the project focuses on knowledge rather than gifts. Please help make God's creation a world without hunger. Thank you for your gift! Photo: Jörg Böthling/Bread for the World
Martin Luther's Grave
When Luther died in Eisleben in 1546, Elector John Frederick of Saxony (reigned 1532-1547) ordered that his body be transferred to Wittenberg and buried in the Castle Church. The grave is located near the pulpit, about 2 meters deep in the ground. The Latin inscription reads: "Here lies the body of Martin Luther, Doctor of Sacred Theology. He died in the year of Christ 1546 on February 18th in his hometown of Eisleben at the age of 63 years, 2 months, and 10 days."
Introduction to Philipp Spielmann
I look forward to exploring the beautiful surroundings of Wittenberg by bike, to beautiful church services, musical highlights, old and new songs, and to meeting you!
History
Around 1340, the Ascanian dukes had an "All Saints' Chapel" built at their castle and founded a collegiate monastery in it for liturgical service. Elector Friedrich the Wise had the palace with the chapel demolished and his new residential palace with a more spacious palace church built on the site. You can find out more about the story here.
Church for children
Every Sunday there is a children's service in the Wittenberg Castle Church, parallel to the adult service. Ms. Felicia Grauel is one of the volunteers for the children's service.