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Luther and Melanchthon - portraits from the Cranach workshop in the visitor reception of the castle church - Sunday lecture on the occasion of the handover
In 2022 and 2023, the Wittenberg Sunday Lectures will be dedicated to the topic of new beginnings. Lectures will be held at random this year and next.
On the occasion of the new public presentation of the portraits of the reformers Martin Luther and Phillip Melanchthon in the visitor reception of the Castle Church, the Evangelical Preachers' Seminary invites you to a Sunday lecture.
The second lecture entitled “Authentic Reproductions? A fact check on portrait painting in the Cranach workshop" takes over Prof. Dr. Gunnar Heydenreich from the Cologne Institute for Restoration and Conservation Science.
As a connoisseur of the Cranach portraits, Prof. Heydenreich introduces Cranach's painting technique and the production methods of his workshop. What comes from the master himself? What did journeymen carry out on Cranach's behalf or in free design? What did Cranach intend to do with the portrait paintings? Did he want to create authentic reproductions of the contemporaries depicted, or rather to vividly shape an image of the respective person?
With the focus on the portraits of the Cranach workshop, Prof. Heydenreich takes up a central theme of the Wittenberg Reformation. He examines Cranach's contribution to the illustration of basic ideas of the Reformation, in particular to the dissemination of the portraits of their leading figures. The Union of Evangelical Churches leaves two valuable portraits to the Evangelical Preachers' Seminary in Wittenberg. The paintings of the reformers Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon come from the workshop of Lucas Cranach.
The second Sunday lecture will take place on October 2nd 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.
Cordial invitation!
The altar in the choir, which rises to a height of up to 12 m, is largely made of soft French limestone due to its delicate shapes. On the massive cafeteria block (altar table) with a red-brown marble top there is a carved crucifix (1890 by the Tyrolean wood carver Demetz) and two heavy brass candlesticks. Behind the cafeteria rises the tabernacle-like altarpiece, consisting of three high keel arches richly decorated with Gothic style elements, in which three large limestone figures stand.
Thesis door
The current double-leaf bronze door, installed in 1858, was donated by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV (r. 1840-1861) and built by the conservator of Prussian monuments Ferdinand v. Tassel designed. Friedrich Drake created the small musician figures at the top of the two door wings. Luther's 95 theses in Latin are cast into the door wings in Gothic minuscule script.
Castle church parish
The castle church parish was founded in 1949. For a long time there had been a desire to give this church its own congregation in addition to the preachers' seminary, thereby strengthening the religious life.
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.