The over 1,000-year-old Lutherstadt Eisleben lies in the gentle hilly landscape of the Mansfeld region on the eastern edge of the Harz Mountains. It is regarded as the town where Martin Luther was born and died, and preserves the memory of the reformer in several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Luther memorial sites include not only Luther’s birth and death houses but also the churches of St Petri-Pauli, St Andreas and St Annen, as well as the Luther Monument on the market square. They are all connected by the “Luther Trail Eisleben” – a walking route with artistic stations dedicated to Luther’s life and faith.
In Luther’s birthplace, an exhibition in 13 rooms illustrates the circumstances of his childhood and the society of his time. The baptismal church St Petri-Pauli, with its soaring columns and ribbed vaults, is an example of late Gothic architecture. In the chancel stands the “Luther baptismal font”, commemorating Luther’s baptism. In St Andreas Church, Luther held his last four sermons, inducted two pastors into office, and lay in state before being taken to Wittenberg. The Luther Monument on the market square depicts the reformer in bronze, holding a Bible in his left hand and the papal bull of excommunication in his right. Luther’s death house is now a museum that recalls his final days and death in Eisleben. The St Annen Church, known as the miners’ church, rises above the town and is considered the first Lutheran church in the Mansfeld region.
Besides the Luther sites, it’s worth visiting the Cistercian Convent of St Mary in Helfta on the Romanesque Road. The convent is regarded as the “Crown of German Women’s Monasteries”.
Further insight into the region’s history is offered by the sites of copper shale mining, which was carried out in the Mansfeld region for almost 800 years. The Eisleber Wiesenmarkt – the largest fair in Central Germany – and numerous leisure activities and excursions also promise plenty of variety.
With the audio guide from “mundoido – Stories in Your Ear!” you can immerse yourself in Eisleben’s past and present. Explanations and stories on topics such as Luther’s baptism, the “Evil Seven” or the sandstone heads at the town hall are available in the free app for Android and iOS.
