Wittenberg, Germany - Cradle of the Protestant Reformation

Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, a twin city of Springfield, OH, is a city in Germany on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000.
The importance of Wittenberg historically was due to its seat of the Elector of Saxony, a dignity held by the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg and also to its close connection with Martin Luther and the dawn of the Protestant Reformation.
Several of its buildings are associated with the events of this time. Part of the Augustinian monastery in which Luther dwelt, first as a monk and later as owner with his wife and family, is preserved and considered to be the world's premier museum dedicated to Luther. Various Luther and Melanchthon memorial sites were added to the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996 such as Schlosskirche (castle church), Luther House, Stadtkirche (town church) and Melanchthon House.

On the doors of the All Saints' Church, the Schlosskirche (castle church) Luther nailed his 95 theses in 1517. It was seriously damaged by fire in 1760 during a bombardment by the French during the Seven Years' War, was practically rebuilt, and was later (1885–1892) restored. The wooden doors, burnt in 1760, were replaced in 1858 by bronze doors, bearing the Latin text of the theses. Inside the church are the tombs of Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, and of the electors Frederick the Wise (by Peter Vischer the Younger, 1527) and John the Constant (by Hans Vischer), and portraits of the reformers by Lucas Cranach the Younger.

Martin Luther's home, the Lutherhaus, where he studied and lived both before and after the Reformation, is now a museum containing many artifacts from his life. Melanchthon's house and the house of Lucas Cranach the Elder, mayor of Wittenberg, can also be found here.

Did you know that every Saturday evening from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm you can attend English church services alternately in the Schlosskirche and the Stadtkirche? In addition there are weekly services on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm in the Corpus Christi Chapel next to the Stadtkirche.