TO VISIT LUTHERCOUNTRY

See you soon!Event highlights in LutherCountry:

Thuringia Bach Weeksevery March/April

Handel Festival, Halle (Saale)every May/June

Town festival Luther's wedding, Wittenbergevery June

Reformation Festival, Wittenbergevery October 31

Ecumenical St. Martin's Day Celebration, Erfurtevery November 10

Christmas Markets in Erfurtand at Wartburg Castle in Eisenachevery November/December

www.visit-luther.com

Publisher TourComm Germany GmbH & Co KG on behalf of Thuringia Tourist Board and Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.Photos Title: Theses door Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Archive Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt); Luther Festival Eisenach (A. Hultsch; Archive Thuringia Tourist Board)Text and Translation TourComm Germany GmbH & Co KGPrint flyeralarm GmbHEditorial Deadline April 30, 2012Production of the brochure was subsidized by the Thuringian Ministry of Business, Employment and Technology.Please Note All the information has been researched with the greatest possible care and is based on data supplied by service providers in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. However, the publisher assumes no liability for the information provided.

facebook.com/luthercountry

pinterest.com/luthercountry

TENGOOD

REASONS

Magdeburg

Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Mulde

Elbe

Saal

e

Unstrut

Saale

Thuringian Rhoen

Thuringian

Forest

Harz Mountains

Erfurt

Lutherstadt Eisleben

A2

A14

A 143

A14A38

A38

A4

A71

Dresden

Eisenach

A9

A9

A4

Weimar

BERLIN

FRANKFURT/MAIN

MUNICH

Halle (Saale)

BAUHAUS

Dessau

A9

Schmalkalden

Werra

A71A73

Mühlhausen

Welcome to LutherCountry... and to the LutherDecade!

Germany

Reason 2: O� the beaten pathWhat better way to commemorate a great visionary than by striking off into

unknown lands? Take off down the Luther Trail, which connects many of the fascinating locations within LutherCountry. You can also pay a visit to the picturesque, half-timbered town of Schmalkalden, where Luther gave sermons at the St. George’s Church and presented his doctrines to the Federal Assemblies in the winter of 1537.

Reason 3: RevolutionThe German Peasants' Revolt was led by Thomas Muentzer, a radical inspired

by a literal interpretation of Martin Luther’s New Testament. This revolutionary lost his head in Mühlhausen in 1525, and the city played a pivotal role during the Reformation that changed Europe forever.

Reason 1: The WordIn the beginning there was the Word, but it wasn’t until Martin Luther transla-

ted the Bible into German that the Word became accessible to the common man. Inside Wartburg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can visit the room where Luther completed this great work. Run your hands across the same table he used and immerse yourself in history for a moment or two. Continue your journey through history with a visit to the (Johann Sebastian) Bach House, or hop over to the Luther House Museum in Eisenach.

Reason 4: Feel the thunderIn Martin Luther's experience, God's voice indeed "thundereth marvelous-

ly", as it did for Job; after being caught in a thunderstorm, Luther faced his own mortality and devoted his life to God. In Erfurt, you can visit the Augustinian monastery where Luther served as a monk. After seeing the room in which he slept and walking through the halls in which he served God, you can visit the cathedral where he was ordained as a priest. Afterward, enjoy a coffee or visit the unique shops of Merchants‘ Bridge.

Reason 5: ArtBach, Goethe, Listzt, Gropius, Cranach, Luther: these great men all share one

great passion – the arts. Through their mediums, each of them left their mark on one outstanding city – Weimar. Come see their legacy where it was born, commemorated by 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites comprising a total of 16 must-see artifacts in this small but bustling town.

Reason 6: The circle of lifeMartin Luther’s life began and ended in the city of Eisleben. Touch the over

525-year-old font where he was baptized, a font that is still in use to this day. You can also visit his birth house or St. Andrew's Church, the last church in which he preached before he died. Conclude your stay with a visit to the Death House Museum, bringing your journey through Lutheran history full circle.

Reason 7: The 95 Theses Come to Lutherstadt Wittenberg and visit the castle church upon whose

doors Luther nailed his 95 theses almost 500 years ago! Explore the Luther House Museum and see the actual room where his wife Katharina von Bora would sit to sew. Be sure to stop by his grave and pay your respects to the Great Reformer!

Reason 8: Artistic inspirationMartin Luther’s work had a strong influence on the Arts and one artist in

particular – Lucas Cranach the Elder. Cranach was a strong supporter of Luther

and several of his most important works are on display in the Anhalt Art Gallery. Cranach changed the way religious paintings were composed, convey-ing Lutheran ideas through his art. If modern art is more your style, you can also visit the world-famous Bauhaus in Dessau (UNESCO World Heritage).

Reason 9: The Death MaskLuther often went to Halle (Saale) to

preach and the city is nowadays home to a very special artifact – Luther’s death

mask, kept safe in the city’s Market Church. In the 16th Century, two smaller churches were joined to create the Market Church and its four spires. Step inside and you can see the original cast of Luther's face and hands. Halle (Saale) is also home to the Franke Foundations, a social and educational charity set up in 1695. They sent Henry Melchior Muhlen-berg to Pennsylvania, who was later seen as the Father of Lutheranism in the USA.

Reason 10: GothicismLuther attended boarding school in Magdeburg and preached in St. John's

Church in 1524. The people responded to his message; the parishes converted to the Protestant faith and the city became a leader in the Reformation. Magdeburg’s history spans even further back, with a cathedral dating back over 1,000 years. The enormous cathedral was the first to be built in the Gothic style in Germany; begun in 1209, it was finally finished in 1520.

Martin Luther, the Father of the Reformation, spent most of his life (1483-1546) in the neighboring German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, or “LutherCountry”. Located about halfway between Berlin and Frankfurt, this region is celebrating the LutherDecade, a 10-year build-up to 2017 and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Why not take part in the LutherDecade celebrations and come visit us in LutherCountry? Every year until 2017, we will focus on a special theme, such as music or art, and celebrate the decade in authentic cities that played important roles in Reformation history. Regardless when you visit, there will always be exciting events and special moments waiting

for you in LutherCountry!

Luther Country

BAUHAUS

www.visit-luther.com

TO VISIT LUTHERCOUNTRY

See you soon!Event highlights in LutherCountry:

Thuringia Bach Weeksevery March/April

Handel Festival, Halle (Saale)every May/June

Town festival Luther's wedding, Wittenbergevery June

Reformation Festival, Wittenbergevery October 31

Ecumenical St. Martin's Day Celebration, Erfurtevery November 10

Christmas Markets in Erfurtand at Wartburg Castle in Eisenachevery November/December

www.visit-luther.com

Publisher TourComm Germany GmbH & Co KG on behalf of Thuringia Tourist Board and Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.Photos Title: Theses door Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Archive Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt); Luther Festival Eisenach (A. Hultsch; Archive Thuringia Tourist Board)Text and Translation TourComm Germany GmbH & Co KGPrint flyeralarm GmbHEditorial Deadline April 30, 2012Production of the brochure was subsidized by the Thuringian Ministry of Business, Employment and Technology.Please Note All the information has been researched with the greatest possible care and is based on data supplied by service providers in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. However, the publisher assumes no liability for the information provided.

facebook.com/luthercountry

pinterest.com/luthercountry

TENGOOD

REASONS