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Events Calendar
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!
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.