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Musical City Walk
Love as in Luther's Time | Praetorius Consort Wittenberg & Wittenberg Court Orchestra & Guests
Sat, September 27, 2025 - 3:00 PM | Castle Church
Rediscover Wittenberg with open eyes and ears to the sounds of history: Participants in the musical city walk can already look forward to it! At the 20th Wittenberg Renaissance Music Festival, the Wittenberg Court Orchestra, the Praetorius Consort Wittenberg, and their guests invite you to a stroll through the original sites of the Reformation this Saturday afternoon, offering extraordinary listening experiences at representative locations in Luther's city. The young musicians from the Torgau Music School, who contributed to the success of this extraordinary tour last year, will be back in 2025.
During the approximately half-hour opening concert in the Castle Church, popular compositions from the past and present will be heard – songs and dances of the Renaissance, into which musical themes, melodies, and motifs from the soundtracks of modern cinema hits, such as "Tennessee," "Lord of the Rings," and "Pirates of the Caribbean," are subtly but unmistakably woven. Above all, however, in keeping with the festival motto, the focus is on two existential things: love and peace. Thus, Wittenberg's famous couple and the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's wedding play a major role this afternoon.
After the opening, interested parties can participate in a musical city walk in groups – accompanied by experienced city guides, of course. While strolling through Wittenberg, they can enjoy further musical performances in the Old Town Hall, the Corpus Christi Chapel next to the City Church, and the Café Klatschmohn, among others, and experience the impressive sound of historical instruments such as harps, lutes, viols, and crumhorns.
Since capacity is limited, we recommend booking tickets in advance. And be sure to allow some time: it can take two and a half to three hours for the "Love Like in Luther's Time" performance.
Tickets: €25/reduced: €22
Between the spiral staircase in the north wall, which leads to the gallery, and the door where Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses, there are six more bronze plaques embedded in the wall with Latin inscriptions. They bear the names of three professors of theology, one of jurisprudence, and two of medicine, who taught at Wittenberg University in the 17th and 18th centuries and are buried in the church.
The Two Kneeling Knights
To the left and right of the altar, on pedestals, stand two life-size marble figures of knights in armor, kneeling. Both are gazing towards the altar in a posture of "eternal adoration," their helmets removed and placed beside them, their hair held in place by a net-like, gold-colored cap. The knight on the left is a "striking likeness" of Elector Frederick the Wise (d. 1525), while the knight on the right, whose face is unfortunately damaged, represents his brother, Elector John the Steadfast (d. 1532). Both are buried in the crypt beneath the choir.
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.