Lutherstadt Wittenberg

History

Historical documents first mention the settlement in 1180 as a small village founded by Flemish colonists under the rule of the House of Ascania. In 1260 this village became the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg, and in 1293 the settlement was granted its town charter as a free-standing town.

Wittenberg developed into an important trade centre during the following few centuries because of its central location. When the local branch of the Ascanians died out in 1422, control of Saxe-Wittenberg passed to the House of Wettin. The town became an important regional political and cultural centre at the end of the 15th century when Frederick III ("the Wise"), the Elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, made his residence in Wittenberg. Several parts of the boundaries of the town were extended soon afterwards. The second bridge over the Elbe River was built between 1487 and 1490 and the Castle Church (Schlosskirche) was erected between 1496 and 1506. The Elector's palace was rebuilt at the same time.

In 1502, Elector Frederick founded the University of Wittenberg, which attracted some writers such as Martin Luther, a professor of theology beginning in 1508, and Philipp Melanchthon, a professor of Greek and subsequently Luther's friend and disciple, starting a decade later in 1518.

On 31 October 1517, according to legend, Luther nailed his "Ninety-five Theses" against the selling of indulgences to the door of the Castle Church, an event taken as marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation and the start of a major branch of Western Christianity, Lutheranism. The Anabaptist movement had one of its earliest homes in Wittenberg, when the Zwickau prophets moved there in late 1521, only to be suppressed by Luther when he returned from the Wartburg in spring of 1522.

The Capitulation of Wittenberg (1547) is the name given to the treaty by which John Frederick the Magnanimous was compelled to resign the electoral dignity and most of his territory to the Albertine branch of the noble House of Wettin.

In 1760, during the Seven Years' War, the Austrians bombarded the town, which was then occupied by the Prussians. The French took control in 1806, and Napoleon commanded the refortification of the town in 1813. In 1814, the Prussian Army under Tauentzien stormed Wittenberg; he received the title of "von Wittenberg" as a reward. Wittenberg became part of Prussia a year later following the fall of Napoleon and negotiations at the Congress of Vienna, administered within the Province of Saxony. Wittenberg continued to be a fortress of the third class until the reorganisation of German defences after the foundation of the new German Empire led to its dismantling in 1873.

Historical population

The figures are given for the metropolitan district at the point in time. Up to 1791 the figures are generally estimated, later figures are from census or local authorities.

Source: 2012 census.

Divisions

The town Wittenberg consists of Wittenberg proper and the following Ortschaften or municipal divisions:

Climate

Wittenberg has a typical oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb; Trewartha: Dobk) with cool winters and warm summers. The average temperature in Wittenberg ranges from 1 °C (34 °F) in winter to 19 °C (66 °F) in summer, with the average temperature from May to September being above 10 °C (50 °F). Winter begins in early October and spring begins in mid-April of the following year. There are 14.1 days of daytime high temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) each year, and about 18 days of daytime maximum temperatures below freezing each winter.

The Wittenberg weather station has recorded the following extreme values:

Highest Temperature 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) on 9 August 1992.

Warmest Minimum 22.6 °C (72.7 °F) on 7 August 2015.

Coldest Maximum −17.4 °C (0.7 °F) on 1 February 1956.

Lowest Temperature −24.6 °C (−12.3 °F) on 2 February 1956.

Highest Daily Precipitation 97.4 mm (3.83 in) on 27 July 2016.

Wettest Month 177.2 mm (6.98 in) in July 1954.

Wettest Year 786.0 mm (30.94 in) in 2007.

Driest Year 308.0 mm (12.13 in) in 2018.

Earliest Snowfall: 30 October 1940.

Latest Snowfall: 29 April 1985.

Longest annual sunshine: 2,117.7 hours in 2018.

Shortest annual sunshine: 1,388.1 hours in 1977.

Sights and culture

Lutherstadt Wittenberg has a wide range of cultural sites. Most are located within the historic old town along the Wittenberg Culture Mile.

Wittenberg is home to numerous historical sites, as well as portraits and other paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger. On the doors of All Saints' Church, the Schlosskirche ("castle church", built in 1496–1506) Luther is said to have 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 Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, Johannes Bugenhagen, Paul Eber 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, who is also buried in the church.

St. Mary's Church, the parish church in which Luther often preached, was built in the 14th century, but has been much altered since Luther's time. It contains a painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, representing the Last Supper (with the faces of Luther and other reformers), Baptism and Confession, also a font by Hermann Vischer the Elder (1457). In addition, there are numerous historic paintings in the church.

The ancient electoral palace is another of the buildings that suffered severely in 1760; it now contains archives.

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. Statues of Luther (by Schadow), Melanchthon and Bugenhagen embellish the town. The spot outside the Elster Gate where Luther publicly burned the papal bull in 1520 is marked by an oak tree.

The original Wittenberg University quadrangle also lies in the city centre.

Buildings

One of the town's main attractions is the Schlosskirche (Castle Church), most notably associated with the publication of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, a bold attack on the Roman Catholic Church's practice of indulgences. The castle church was remodelled between 1883 and 1892. According to the intentions of the builders, the world-historical significance of the castle church was to be expressed. In the spirit of the historicism period, the statement was related to the precursors and bearers of the Reformation, thus creating a Reformation memorial. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the posting of the theses in 2017, the church was extensively renovated.

St. Mary's Town Church and Parish Church is the mother church of the Reformation. The first Protestant service was held in it in 1521 by Justus Jonas the Elder and Andreas Bodenstein of Karlstadt. As Martin Luther's preaching church, it was the Reformation official church of the general superintendents of the Saxon Kurkreis. After the Congress of Vienna it became the official residence of the Wittenberg superintendents. The artistic decoration is well preserved and includes works by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger. Epitaphs on the interior and exterior walls refer to the work of many important personalities. The cemetery chapel of the Holy Corpse stands to the south of the town church and once belonged to the walled cemetery area of the church.

The church on Mauerstraße was consecrated in 1872 by Bishop Konrad Martin. It was renovated in 1999/2000.

Christ Church was built as another church in 1907/1908 in the suburb of Kleinwittenberg in historicist forms.

The representative showcase building Augusteum was once an extension of the University of Wittenberg "Leucorea". In the inner courtyard of the Augusteum is the former home of Martin Luther. Today, the building houses the Reformation History Museum with its collections of pictures, writings and contemporary exhibits from the Reformation era

The architectural style of the Melanchthon House in Collegienstraße, which expresses the self-confident modernity of the Renaissance, is an architectural sight. In this house the reformer Philipp Melanchthon lived and died. It houses an exhibition. In 2013, the house received an extension according to plans by the architects Dietsch & Weber from Halle made of grey brick.

Museums

Cranach-Höfe, Markt 4 (changing exhibitions)

Altes Rathaus (changing exhibitions)

Christian Art Foundation Wittenberg with a permanent exhibition and changing special exhibitions in Wittenberg Castle (access via visitor centre)

Haus der Geschichte (20th century housing culture and in particular that of the former GDR), Schlossstraße 6

Museum of Municipal Collections in the Zeughaus (city history; Julius Riemer collection: natural history, ethnology), Arsenalplatz

Science Center futurea, Markt 25

Historical City Information and burial place of the Ascanians in the monastery church, Arsenalplatz

Other sights

Luthereiche at the southern end of Lutherstraße, where Martin Luther burned the Bull of Banishment of the Pope in 1520, thus completing his separation from the Roman Catholic Church.

Röhrwasser, historical water supply system. In the 16th century, the steady growth of the population of the town of Wittenberg made a supply of fresh and clear water increasingly necessary. The existing wells and streams were no longer sufficient, as they were increasingly polluted with rubbish. The tubewater changed all that. With the tube water connection, fresh spring water was available to the citizens day and night, summer and winter. It was not until 1883 that the tubewater lost its importance due to the central water supply. Today, the Wittenberg tube water system with its 20 or so existing wells is the only functioning tube water supply system from the Middle Ages north of the Alps and thus a technical monument. Since 2002, parts of the streams flowing through the town have been opened up.

Ratsarchiv Wittenberg, Juristentrasse 16.

Kirchliches Forschungsheim, Friedrichstrasse 1a.

Luthergarten, park with 270 trees from all over the world near the castle on Kurfürstenring (formerly Hallesche Straße).

Panoramic circular image Luther 1517 by Yadegar Asisi, Wilhelm-Weber-Straße near the Lutherhaus

Tierpark Wittenberg (Zoological Garden), Juristenstraße.

Alaris Butterfly Park, Rothemarkstraße.

K-Building (Kommandantengebäude), to house the planned study collection of the municipal collections, with attached lecture and conference centre, Juristenstrasse 14

Coat of arms

Wittenberg's civic coat of arms conveys with its various heraldic elements something of the town's history. On 27 June 1293, Wittenberg was granted town rights by Duke Albert II. There then arose a mediaeval town whose highest governing body was its council. This council, known to have existed as early as 1317, was given the job of administering the town in its care through law and legislation, and of handling the town's revenue. For documentation, the administration used its own seal.

One version of what is believed to be the town's oldest town seal, which the council used, and which dated from the first half of the 14th century, set the pattern with its elements for various civic coats of arms down to the present day.

The coat of arms symbolizes, with its crenelated wall and the towers within and each side, a town that was already strongly fortified by 1409.

The two shields in the centre form the coat of arms of the Electorate of Saxony with the Saxon arms on the right, whose gold and black stripes recall the Ascanian rulers' house colours with the

Rautenkranz or crancelin (literally "rue wreath"; see the Saxony article for more) across them symbolizing the town's founder Duke Albrecht II since 1262, when it appeared in his arms.

The shield on the left is the Wittenberg district's arms. In 1356, Emperor Charles IV bestowed upon the Duke of Saxony-Wittenberg the honour of Elector. Wittenberg became an Electoral residence. The shield with its crossed swords stands for the office of "Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire" inextricably joined by the Electorate, brought to Wittenberg by Rudolf I. Both coats of arms continued to be used by the Wettins after the Ascanians died out.

The flowing water at the foot of the shield symbolizes Wittenberg's location on the River Elbe.

The fish is a salmon, which as once abundant in the Elbe. The fishermen, like all professions in town, got their own order in 1422, and the fish found its way onto their coat of arms.

Economy and infrastructure

The town is a centre of the chemical industry with the SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH. The whole area of the industrial park covers more than 220 hectares with more than 1,500 workers. Tourism plays a major role. Wittenberg is one of the top destinations in Saxony-Anhalt.

Lutherstadt Wittenberg station is the main railway station. It connects Wittenberg hourly with Berlin to the north and Leipzig and Halle (Saale) to the south. The station was rebuilt to be more environmentally friendly and re-opened in December 2016.

Theatre, culture and education

Wittenberg has a long tradition of cultural events. The Central German State Theatre (Mitteldeutsches Landestheater) reached great importance in GDR times. Since 1996, the town has staged open-air theatre shows based on the Lutheran history still alive in many historical places of the ancient town. As highlights, in 2001 and 2005, Fernando Scarpa became the artistic director of the "Bühne Wittenberg" (Stage Wittenberg), a project for theatre, art and culture in the whole of Germany which attracts many visitors to the town and whose success is known European-wide. On 2002 and 2003 Stefano Vagnini, Italian composer and organist created the music for Thesys and Luther Stories.

Wittenberg is the seat of the Leucorea which is part of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt. It is also home to the Gymnasium Leucorea, the largest college-preparatory secondary school in the state. The Gymnasium's Hundertwasser site is the only school building designed by Viennese architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Personalities from the 19th to the 21st century

Not only the men of the Reformation era Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon and Lucas Cranach left their mark on Wittenberg. Much more than in its role as the capital of Kursachsen and as the residential town of Saxony-Wittenberg, the city was shaped by the university. The names and dates of many personalities are recorded on memorial plaques on the houses in the old town.

1801–1850

Johann Friedrich von Brandt (* 1802 in Jüterbog; † 1879 in Merreküll), medical doctor and naturalist

Friedrich Drake (* 1805 in Pyrmont; † 1882 in Berlin), sculptor

Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl (* 1806 in Großvargula; † 1876 in Leipzig), philologist

Johann Hinrich Wichern (* 1808 in Hamburg; † 1881 in Hamburg), theologian

Johann Gottfried Galle (* 1812 in Pabsthaus; † 1910 in Potsdam), astronomer

Werner von Siemens (* 1816 in Lenthe; † 1892 Berlin), industrialist, founder of electrical engineering

Karl Wilhelm Nitzsch (* 1818 in Zerbst; † 1880 in Berlin), historian

Adalbert Falk (* 1827 in Metschkau; † 1900 in Hamm), Prussian minister of culture, honorary citizen of Wittenberg

1851–1900

Karl Lamprecht (* 1856 in Jessen; † 1915 in Leipzig), historian

Nathan Söderblom (* 1866 in Trönö; † 1931 in Uppsala), theologian, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, honorary citizen of Wittenberg

Otto Kleinschmidt (* 1870 in Geinsheim 1870; † 1954 in Wittenberg), natural scientist.

Otto Dibelius (* 1880 in Berlin; † 1967 in West Berlin), theologian

Julius Riemer (* 1880 in Berlin; 1958 in Wittenberg), museum founder

Else Hertzer (*1884 in Wittenberg; † 1978 in West Berlin), expressionist painter

Otto Rasch (* 1891 in Friedrichsruh; † 1948 in Nuremberg), Lord Mayor 1934–36, as commander of Einsatzgruppe C responsible, among other things, for the massacre of Babyn Yar

Hermann Oberth (* 1894 in Hermannstadt; † 1989 in Nuremberg), nuclear physicist

1901–1945

Erwin Wickert (* 1915 in Bralitz; † 2008 in Remagen), diplomat and writer

Konrad Wolf (* 1925 in Hechingen; † 1982 in Berlin), director

Ezard Haußmann (* 1935 in Potsdam; † 2010 in Potsdam), actor

Wolfgang Böhmer (* 1936 in Dürrhennersdorf), medical doctor, former Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt

Friedrich Schorlemmer (* 1944 in Wittenberge), theologian

After 1945

Reiner Haseloff (* 1954 in Bülzig), politician (CDU), Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt since 2011

Frank Wartenberg (* 1955 in Prenzlau), track and field athlete

Christiane Wartenberg (* 1956 in Prenzlau), track and field athlete

Mathias Tietke (* 1959 in Wittenberg), right‑wing extremist, yoga teacher and non‑fiction author

Peter Fitzek (* 1965 in Halle an der Saale), activist of the Reich citizenship movement, founder of the fantasy state Kingdom of Germany

Fernando Scarpa (* 1968 in Milan), Italian film director

Nils Seethaler (* 1981 in Berlin), provenance researcher and museum initiator

Twin towns – sister cities

Wittenberg is twinned with: