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A Lutheran who was not only a visitor
1. What made you want to travel to LutherCountry?
"I am a Lutheran of German ancestry who is interested in world history, as well as the history of Germany, the Reformation, and the Lutheran Church. So, traveling to LutherCountry is a natural desire. In addition to traveling myself and with my wife, she and I have also hosted tours of LutherCountry, and I worked for seven years on a project in Lutherstadt Wittenberg to prepare for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017."
photo: David Mahsman
2. What was the most memorable place you visited?
"Because of all the time I spent in Wittenberg, this is most memorable for me. I am especially fond of visiting the Stadtkirche St. Marien, the mother church of the Reformation. It is important as the place where Luther proclaimed his theology from the pulpit, and it has many interesting artifacts, including paintings by Lucas Cranach the elder and the younger."
3. What is the activity (guided tour, etc.) you would suggest others do?
"I recommend guided tours especially in Wittenberg and at the Wartburg. Tours in Wittenberg can be booked at the Wittenberg Information, which is directly across the street from the Castle Church (Schlosskirche). Especially worthwhile on such a tour is an explanation of the Stadtkirche, where hearing about the Cranach (younger) painting “The Vineyard of the Lord” is fascinating. Although a tour may or may not take one into the Lutherhaus museum, be sure to spend time there on your own. It’s well worth it. Ask your tour guide also to take you by the Old Latin School or at least to point it out to you. It is right next to the Stadtkirche and houses the International Lutheran Center. Have a visit with the director, Dr. Wilhelm Weber (fluent in both English and German), if he is available.
Regarding the Wartburg Castle, where Luther translated the New Testament into German while hiding out from the emperor, a tour is necessary to get the full picture of this place that has a history even beyond that of Luther and the Reformation."
photo: David Mahsman
4. Why did you visit LutherCountry? For leisure, work or some other reason?
"My first visit to LutherCountry was in 1990 as part of a youth delegation from our American church body (I was not a youth, but I was writing about trip for our national magazine). I visited again in 1996 on several tours hosted by the same publication, The Lutheran Witness, official periodical of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. I also hosted tours in 2000 (including the passion play in Oberammergau) and in 2002 (a Christmas-markets tour). Then I was working in Wittenberg from 2009-2016, as noted above. I have been back five times since 2016, the last time for a Christmas-markets tour in 2018. My wife and I will be hosting yet another tour of LutherCountry this year, in September."
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