All Saints' Church, Wittenberg

All Saints' Church, commonly referred to as Schlosskirche (Castle Church) to distinguish it from the

Beginning in 1883, the church was restored as a memorial site

World Heritage List in 1996 along with other sites in Wittenberg and Eisleben associated with Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon.^[7]

History

A first chapel dedicated to All Saints was erected at the new residence of the Ascanian duke Rudolf I of Saxe-Wittenberg in about 1340. Consecrated on 6 May 1346, Rudolf subordinated his foundation to the immediate jurisdiction of the Holy See. With further donations made by his successor Duke Rudolf II, it was determined the Wittenberg main church by Pope Boniface IX in 1400.

Foundation

When in the late 15th century the

The main portal was often used by the university staff to pin up messages and notices; it is generally believed that on 31 October 1517, the eve of All Saints' Day, Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the doors of All Saints' Church. This act, meant to promote a disputation on the sale of indulgences, is commonly viewed to be a catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. Whether the event actually took place or not, however, cannot be conclusively established. Nevertheless, Luther sent his objections in a letter to Archbishop Albert of Mainz on the same day.

Frederick the Wise died in 1525 and was buried in the Castle Church. In the same year, the Lutheran rite was implemented. The church became the burial site of Martin Luther himself in 1546, and of Philipp Melanchthon in 1560.

When during the Seven Years' War the Wittenberg fortress was occupied by the Prussian Army and shelled by Imperial forces in 1760, the Castle Church was destroyed by a fire resulting from the bombardment. The blaze left only half of the foundation standing,^[9] and none of the wooden portals survived.^[4] All Saints' was soon rebuilt, albeit^[5] without many priceless works of art that were lost forever.

After Wittenberg was incorporated into the Prussian

A Lutheran Castle Church parish was established in 1949. It later evolved to a centre of the East German peace movement (swords to ploughshares), when Friedrich Schorlemmer served here as a preacher from 1978 onwards. In 1983, 500 years after the birth of Luther, 12 new stained glass windows were installed in All Saints'. These honored the most important Reformation students of Luther, and were created by Renate Brömme in a "timeless" style at the order of the Lutheran World Federation. A new glazed brick roof was added in 1999-2000.

Today, All Saints' Church serves not only as a place of worship, but it also houses the town's historical archives, is home to the Riemer-Museum, and a youth hostel.

The tombs of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon are located in All Saints' Church.^{[13][14][15][16][17]} On Luther's tomb, located beneath the pulpit, is inscribed "Here is buried the body of the Doctor of Sacred Theology, Martin Luther, who died in the year of Christ 1546, on February 18th, in his hometown Eisleben, after having lived for 63 years, 2 months, and 10 days."^[18] Melanchthon preached at Luther's burial.^[19] Luther's casket is buried near the pulpit, some 2.4 metres below the floor of the nave.^[20] Other notable burials include Caspar Ziegler, a Rektor of the university.

The church holds life-sized

• 
  Interior: view down the nave towards the altar
• 
  The steeple of All Saints' Church. The inscription Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott runs just below its base.
• 
  Statue of Saxonian prince-elector Frederick III, "the Wise"
• 
  Organ
• 
  Memorial to Prussian princes
• 
  Chandelier

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wittenberg Schlosskirche.

51°51′59″N 12°38′16″E / 51.86639°N 12.63778°E / 51.86639; 12.63778