Martin Luther: His Life and Places of Work

The effects of the life and work of the Wittenberg Reformer Martin Luther were universal, but he spent most of his time in the electoral principality of Saxony, which as a result of his life and work became the mother country of the Reformation . The theologian and journalist Matthias Gretzschel approaches the Luther phenomenon by tracing Luther s fortunes along the stations of his life: from Eisleben in the county of Mansfeld where he was born via his schooldays in Eisenach to his entry into the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt as a monk, from Wittenberg where he nailed his theses to the church door to the Leipzig Debate, from his appearances before the Diet of Worms to his protective custody in Wartburg Castle where he translated the New Testament into German. The later journeys that he made from Wittenberg to promote the Reformation are also documented. In the second part of the book Luther sites in Germany are presented in alphabetical order with detailed information and up-to-date photos of each town or city. The focus is on authentic places where Martin Luther lived and worked, many of which have already been refurbished for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. They are the churches in which he preached, houses where he lived or stayed, and Luther monuments and exhibitions. The other main sites of the cities and towns in question are also presented. With more than 250 illustrations, a chronology and an index. Die Wirkungen des Wittenberger Reformators Martin Luther waren universal. Die meiste Zeit verbrachte er in Kursachsen, das durch ihn zum Mutterland der Reformation wurde. Der Theologe und Journalist Matthias Gretzschel nähert sich dem Phänomen Luther, indem er dessen Schicksal anhand der einzelnen Lebensstationen nachzeichnet: vom Geburtsort Eisleben im Mansfelder Land über die Schulzeit in Eisenach bis zum Eintritt ins Erfurter Augustinerkloster, vom Wittenberger Thesenanschlag zu den Disputationen in Leipzig, von den Auftritten vor dem Reichstag in Worms bis zur Schutzhaft auf der Wartburg, wo er die Bibel übersetzte. Dokumentiert werden auch die späteren Reisen, die Luther von Wittenberg aus unternahm, um sein reformatorisches Werk zu fördern. Der ausführliche Anhang enthält wichtige Informationen zu den Wirkungsstätten des Reformators, informiert über deren Geschichte und die reformatorischen Hintergründe und stellt die wichtigsten Museen und Gebäude vor, von denen viele schon im Hinblick auf das 500. Reformationsjubiläum 2017 neugestaltet worden sind.