Cranach's altarpiece, Stadtkirche, Wittenberg

Stadtkirche Wittenberg from the north east

Decoration over west door, Stadtkirche Wittenberg

The Stadt- und Pfarrkirche St. Marien zu Wittenberg (Town and Parish Church of St. Mary's) is the civic church of the German town of

Lutherstadt Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north of ...

. The reformers

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

and

Johannes Bugenhagen Johannes Bugenhagen (24 June 1485 – 20 April 1558), also called ''Doctor Pomeranus'' by Martin Luther, was a German theologian and Lutheran priest who introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th ce ...

preached there and the building also saw the first celebration of the mass in German rather than Latin and the first ever distribution of the bread and wine to the congregation – it is thus considered the mother-church of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

. In 1996, it was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

along with Castle Church of All Saints (Schlosskirche), the

Lutherhaus The Lutherhaus is a writer's house museum in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany. Originally built in 1504 as part of the University of Wittenberg, the building was the home of Martin Luther for most of his adult life and a significant location in t ...

, the Melanchthonhaus, and Martin's Luther's

birth house Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the ...

and

death house ''Death House'' is a 2017 American horror film written by Gunnar Hansen, who has a cameo in the film, and directed by Harrison Smith. The film features an ensemble cast of horror icons including Kane Hodder, Barbara Crampton, Bill Moseley, Dee Wa ...

Eisleben Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as both the hometown of the influential theologian Martin Luther and the place where he died; hence, its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. First mentioned in the late 10th century, E ...

, because of its religious significance and testimony to the lasting, global influence of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

History

The first mention of the Pfarrkirche St.-Marien dates to 1187. Originally a wooden church in the

Diocese of Brandenburg The Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg (german: Hochstift Brandenburg) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the 12th century until it was secularized during the second half of the 16th century. It should not be confused w ...

, in 1280 the present chancel and the chancel's south aisle were built. Between 1412 and 1439 the nave was replaced by the present three-aisle structure and the two towers built, originally crowned by stone pyramids. The first Protestant service was held here by Luther at Christmas 1521. In 1522, in the wake of the

iconoclasm Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...

begun by

Andreas Bodenstein Andreas Rudolph Bodenstein von Karlstadt (148624 December 1541), better known as Andreas Karlstadt or Andreas Carlstadt or Karolostadt, or simply as Andreas Bodenstein, was a German Protestant theologian, University of Wittenberg chancellor, a c ...

, almost the whole interior decoration was demolished and removed, leaving the still-surviving High Medieval

Judensau A ''Judensau'' (German for "Jews' sow") is a folk art image of Jews in obscene contact with a large sow (female pig), which in Judaism is an unclean animal, that appeared during the 13th century in Germany and some other European countries; i ...

on the exterior of the south wall. On his return to Wittenberg from the

Wartburg The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the ...

, Luther preached his famous invocavit sermons in the Stadtkirche. Luther married Katharina von Bora here on 13 June 1525, the service being conducted by his colleague and friend,

. In 1547, during the

Schmalkaldic War The Schmalkaldic War (german: link=no, Schmalkaldischer Krieg) was the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire (simultaneously King Charles I of Spain), commanded by the Duk ...

, the towers' stone pyramids were removed to make platforms for cannon. Despite the war, an altarpiece by

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is kno ...

was unveiled in the church. In 1556 the platforms were replaced by the surviving octagonal caps, a clock and a clock-keeper's dwelling. This was followed by an extension of the east end and the overlying 'Ordinandenstube'. In 1811 the interior of the church was redesigned to a

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

scheme by Carlo Ignazio Pozzi. The church was again restored in 1928 and also 1980–1983.

Altarpiece

The church contains a masterly altarpiece by

Lucas Cranach the Younger Lucas Cranach the Younger (german: Lucas Cranach der Jüngere ; October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach. Life and career Lucas Cranach ...

. Cranach lived in Wittenberg for most of his life, for this reason, many rich patrons chose to have a memorial painting by Cranach, rather than a gravestone. These encircle the altarpiece.

Tombs of Interest

*Memorial painting to Sara Cracow (d.1563), daughter of Bugenhagen, by Cranach *

Paul Eber Paul Eber (8 November 1511 – 10 December 1569) was a German Lutheran theologian, reformer and hymnwriter, known for the hymn for the dying, " Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott". Life He was born at Kitzingen in Franconia, and was educated ...

memorial by Cranach *Memorial to Melchior Fend (d.1564) "Jesus in the Temple" by Peter Spitzer and Cranach *Memorial to Franziskus Oldehorst (d.1565) by Cranach and Peter Spitzer *Memorial painting of Caspar Niemeck (d.1562) by Cranach *Memorial painting to Samuel Selfisch (d.1615) *Memorial painting to Nikolaus von Seidlitz (d.1582) "Christ risen from his Tomb" by

Augustin Cranach Augustin Cranach (1554 — 26 July 1595) was a German painter. He was born and died in Wittenberg, and was the son of Lucas Cranach the Younger and Magdalena Schurff. He was the father of Lucas Cranach III. See also * List of German painters ...

Organ

The organ of the town church was built in 1983 by the organ builder Sauer. Parts of the previous organs were used. The large mid-section of the prospectus was taken from the organ of 1811, and some of the organ's registers of 1928 were also reused. The instrument has 53 registers on three manuals and a pedal.

General superintendents and superintendents

From 1533 to 1817 the Stadtkirche's pastor was also general superintendent of the Saxon Electoral Circle (''Kurkreis'') and thus granted to the top theological lecturer at the

University of Wittenberg Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...

. #

(1533–1558) #

(1558–1569) # Friedrich Widebrand (1570–1574) #

Kaspar Eberhard Kaspar Eberhard (21 March 1523 – 20 October 1575) was a German Lutheran theologian and teacher. He was born at Schneeberg, and died at Wittenberg. Life Bibliography * Walter Friedensburg: Geschichte der Universität Wittenberg. Max Nieme ...

(1574–1575) #

Polykarp Leyser the Elder Polykarp (von) Leyser the Elder or Polykarp Leyser I (18 March 1552 – 22 February 1610) was a Lutheran theologian, superintendent of Braunschweig, superintendent-general of the Saxon church-circle, professor of theology at the University of Wit ...

(1576–1587) # David Voit (1587–1589) # Urban Pierius also: Birnbaum (1590–1591) #

(1593–1594) # Ägidius Hunnius the Elder (1594–1603) # Georg Mylius (1603–1607) # Friedrich Balduin (1607–1627) # Paul Röber (1627–1651) # Abraham Calov (1656–1686) # Balthasar Bebel (1686) # Caspar Löscher (1687–1718) # Gottlieb Wernsdorf der Ältere (1719–1729) # Johann Georg Abicht (1730–1740) # Karl Gottlob Hofmann (1740–1774) # Johann Friedrich Hirt (1775–1783) # Karl Christian Tittmann (1784–1789) #

Karl Ludwig Nitzsch Karl Ludwig Nitzsch (6 August 1751 – 5 December 1831) was a German theologian, a professor of theology since 1790. Nitzsch was born in Wittenberg, where he studied from 1770 to 1775. He later served as a pastor in the towns of Beucha (from ...

(1790–1817) In 1817 the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

merged the University of Wittenberg with the

University of Halle Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...

and the post of general superintendent became one of superintendent, still tied to the pastorate of the Stadtkirche : # Karl Ludwig Nitzsch (1817–1831) # Heinrich Leonhard Heubner (1832–1853) # Immanuel Friedrich Emil Sander (1853–1859) # Karl August Schapper (1860–1866) # Karl Otto Bernhard Romberg (1867–1877) # Georg Christian Rietschel (1878–1887) # Carl Wilhelm Emil Quandt (1888–1908) # Friedrich Wilhelm Orthmann (1908–1923) # Maximilian Meichßner (1926–1954) # Gerhard Böhm (1956–1976) # Albrecht Steinwachs (1976–1997) Since 1999 the post of superintendent has not been tied to any pastorate, so the next superintendent of the Wittenberg church-circle will not ''ex officio'' be pastor of the Stadtkirche.

Judensau

The facade of the church has a

, or Jew's pig, from 1305. It portrays a rabbi who looks under the sow's tail, and other Jews drinking from its teats. An inscription reads "Rabini Shem hamphoras," gibberish which presumably bastardizes "shem ha-meforasch" (a secret name of God; see

Shemhamphorasch ''Shem HaMephorash'' ( he, שֵׁם הַמְּפֹרָשׁ ''Šēm hamMəfōrāš'', also ''Shem ha-Mephorash''), meaning "the explicit name," is originally a Tannaitic term describing the Tetragrammaton. In Kabbalah, it may refer to a name of G ...

). The sculpture is one of the last remaining examples in Germany of "medieval Jew baiting." In 1988, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the ''

Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation fro ...

'', debate sprung up about the monument, which resulted in the addition of a sculpture recognizing that during the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

six million Jews were murdered "under the sign of the cross". In ''

Vom Schem Hamphoras ''Vom Schem Hamphoras'', full title: ''Vom Schem Hamphoras und vom Geschlecht Christi'' (''Of the Unknowable Name and the Generations of Christ''), was a book written by German Reformation leader Martin Luther in 1543, in which he equated Jews wit ...

'' (1543), Luther comments on the Judensau sculpture at Wittenberg, echoing the antisemitism of the image and locating the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

in the sow's bowels: In 2022, The

Federal Court of Justice The Federal Court of Justice (german: Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) is the highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction (''ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit'') in Germany, founded in 1950. It has its seat in Karlsruhe with two panels being situat ...

upheld rulings for the preservation of the Judensau; when clarifying its stance, the court stated that the church provided historical context for the sculpture and condemned it.

Gallery

Wittenberg Stadtkirche 1.jpg, The altarpiece by

and son

. Lucas Cranach d.J. - Reformationsaltar, St. Marien zu Wittenberg, linker Flügel.jpg, Left panel ( Philipp Melanchthon administered the baptism). Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Reformationsaltar, St. Marien zu Wittenberg, Mitteltafel.jpg, Central panel (

The Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...

). Lucas Cranach d.J. - Reformationsaltar, St. Marien zu Wittenberg, rechter Flügel.jpg, Right panel (

administered "the key's power"). Lucas Cranach d.J. - Reformationsaltar, St. Marien zu Wittenberg, Predella.jpg, Low panel (

preaching before a Christ).

References

External links

Parish website
{{Authority control Wittenberg Stadtkirche Lutheran churches in Germany Protestant churches in Saxony-Anhalt Churches in Wittenberg Wittenberg Stadtkirche

Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...

Martin Luther