Berlin has very many museums. We accompany you with our trained Guides by the museums selected by you. Many museums are united on the museum island in Berlin center.
The library of the Jewish museum Berlin contains extensive historical book inventories for history and religion of the Jews in the German-speaking countries, among them special collections of books published in Germany and magazines in Hebrew and jiddischer language, citizen of Berlin Rabbinica, Hebraika, writings of the zionistischen movement as well as works with original diagrams important Jewish artist. It is supplemented by current reference literature.
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At the beginning of the 16th century, Master Meinhardi promoted Wittenberg University by describing, “the location, the beauty and the fame of the well-known, wonderful town of Albioris, commonly known as Wittenberg”.
Even today, visitors to the Lutheran town of Wittenberg can enjoy the atmosphere of Reformation and Renaissance. Strolling through the old town, where the stone witnesses of time are lined up next to each other like pearls, you will come across the Castle Church with its world famous Thesis door and the graves of Luther and Melanchthon, the courtyards of Master Cranach, the Town Church with its impressive Cranach altar, and the houses of Luther and Melanchthon. The old town of Wittenberg is a unique open-air museum which lets you experience important aspects of world history.
Wittenberg was first documented in 1183 as the home of the “Askanier” and later the “Wettiner”, and from the end of the 15th century it served as the princely residence of Frederick the Wise. His clever politics, the rapidly developing university founded in 1502, the influence of Luther, Melanchthon and other leading reformers, all led to this small town on the Elbe becoming the centre of spiritual life in Europe.
For centuries Wittenberg has retained an important role in religion, science and culture, and since 1938 it has presented itself as the official “Town of Luther”. Since 1996 the town of Dr. Martin Luther contains UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites in the castle and municipal churches, with their historical significance for the course of the reformation, the Luther House and Melanchthon’s house. Its revived university and the “Leucorea” foundation are bringing the international atmosphere back to this small town that has a leading place in world history. Master Meinhardi would be very pleased.
We begin our tour at the Castle Church, the church that has made Wittenberg so famous. We are standing in front of what is certainly the most photographed door in Europe, the "Theses Door". It was in this place where, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther made public his 95 Theses, "Against the Abuse of the Indulgence Trade". Unfortunately the orginal "Thesis Door" no longer exists. It was destroyed in the desastrous fire of 1760 along with all but half of the foundation of the church.
The present door is cast in bronze and weighs 2,200 pounds. It was dedicated in 1858 and is overlaid with the orginal Latin version of the 95 theses. The church itself was built around 1500 as the private church of Kurfursten Friedrich the III, otherwise known as Friedrich the Wise. In front of us rises the 88 meter high tower. When the weather is nice, you can climb to the top where your efforts will be rewarded with a splendid view of Wittenberg and the surroundings. The letters that circle the tower proclaim perhaps the most famous of Luther's lyrics: "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing."
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Impressum
Museums, Bauhaus
