Wartburg Castle, Luther and Bach

Eisenach

The small town on the western edge of the Thuringian Forest is known for its UNESCO World Heritage Site Wartburg Castle, as a place where Martin Luther stayed and as the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The exhibition at Luther House in Eisenach is surprisingly modern and entertaining. ©Anna-Lena Thamm, Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach

The Luther House in Eisenach

Martin Luther spent several years in Eisenach as a schoolboy. His family had sent him to live with his mother's relatives. But then there was no more room for another child. And so, by a lucky coincidence, he ended up in the care of the Cotta family. Mrs Ursula Cotta, wife of the mayor of Eisenach, was taken with the boy's singing and his fervent prayers. The young Martin did not have to pay for board and lodging - in return, he tutored Mrs Cotta's younger brother. The Cottas' house in Eisenach is one of the oldest in the town. Today it houses a modern, interactive museum on the subject of "Luther and the Bible".

Wartburg Castle as a hiding place

On 4 May 1521, Martin Luther's travelling carriage is ambushed in the Thuringian Forest on the way back from Worms to Wittenberg. Masked horsemen take him to nearby Wartburg Castle. However, the supposed villains turn out to be rescuers sent by Elector Frederick the Wise to hide the reformer, who is now under papal ban, from his persecutors. And what is Luther doing in the castle? He grows a beard, dresses in secular clothes as "Squire Jörg" and begins his translation of the Bible. In just eleven weeks, he translates the New Testament from the original Greek text into German. In the process, he invents idioms and new terms and lays the foundation for a standardised German language that transcends all dialect boundaries. Just like that. Probably his greatest cultural achievement.

The Luther Room at Wartburg Castle is the place where Martin Luther begann his Bible translation in 1521/22 ©Andreas Matthes, Wartburg-Stiftung

The Bachs in "Luther’s town"

Around 140 years after Luther had died in Eisleben, Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in March 1685. He was the child of a widely ramified Thuringian family of musicians. And so, it was no wonder that he also found access to music at an early age. He was guided by his Protestant faith. He poured it into music that still enchants or overwhelms us today. The Bach House in Eisenach is dedicated entirely to the city's great son. In a modern annex building, visitors can immerse themselves completely in what still allows us to be very close to him today: his music.

In the Eisenach Bach House visitors can immerse themselve completely in Bach's music. ©Gregor Lengler, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

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TIP: TANNHÄUSER AT WARTBURG CASTLE

Wartburg Castle is not only associated with the history of the Reformation. It is linked with medieval singing contests, was the home of St Elisabeth and played a role in the efforts to create a German nation state in the 19th century. Richard Wagner was enchanted by the atmosphere of the castle and its stories. He wove some of them into a magical whole in his opera "Tannhäuser und der Sängerwettstreit auf der Wartburg". The opera can be experienced live in several annual performances at the castle. Goosebump moments for music lovers.