July 1, 2023 - Germany
Wartburg Castle

 

Today was a long driving day.  From Brussels, back into Germany passing the southern outskirts of Cologne, to the little village of Eisenach where we toured Wartburg Castle, then on to Erfurt where we spent the night.   The drive from Brussels to Wartburg Castle took over six hours.  But we arrived early enough to tour the castle, which would be our first Martin Luther sight.

"When Martin Luther spoke out against Church corruption, he made enemies of Pope Leo X and emperor, and put his life in jeopardy.  Luther was given refuge by sympathetic prince Frederick the Wise in this easily defended castle, and -- hidden away in a small room -- he diligently translated the New Testament from the original Greek sources.  Although Luther's translation was not the first version of the Bible printed in German, it was the first translated from Greek rather than Latin (and therefore more accurate).  It was so widely circulated that it helped shape the development of standard written German -- making Wartburg, in a sense, the birthplace of the modern German language."  ... Rick Steves

From the parking lot, we walked up the hill to Wartburg Castle.
   

In the courtyard.

Tradition holds that Wartburg Castle was a simple frontier fortress established in 1067.   The foundation for Wartburg Castle was laid in 1067, along with a larger sister castle known as Neuenburg. Additions were made over the years, and the castle began exhibiting an eclectic mix of architectural styles, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Historicism.
   
 
   
In the distance, down the hill, is the town of Eisenach.  We drove through Eisenach on our way up to the castle.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   

The Elizabeth Kemenate room, , previously called “Fräulein-Elisabeth-Camin-Stuben”, was most likely the medieval women's chamber of the Wartburg. The large glass mosaic on the walls depicts important events from the life of St. Elizabeth.
   
Per Rick Steves:  spetacular, glittering Neo-Byzntine mosaics from the early 1900s.
   
 
   
IN
   
In the Elisabeth Gallery, pictured here, the painter Moritz von Schwind depicted the life of Saint Elisabeth in seven large frescoes and pointed out her charitable significance with the “seven works of mercy”.
   

The Landgrave's room.  The picture cycle in the Landgrave's Room created by Moritz von Schwind is based on legends published by the fairy tale writer Ludwig Bechstein. Legendary deeds and events from the history of the Thuringian landgraves can be seen.
   
The Hall of Minstrels (with walls decorated with the text of a poem about Wartburg's famous contest of minstrels).
   
A model of the castle in 1842.
   
Model:  1870.
   
Final model:  1948.
   
The vast Banquet Hall (decorated in an exuberant Historicist style rivaling the creations of Mad" King Ludwig, who had a replica of this room created  at his Neuschwanstein Castle).  ... Rick Steves
   
IN
   
A "ducal" or princely bedroom for a royal night's sleep.  It's the only room in the former grand ducal apartment at Wartburg whose furnishings from the 19th century have been preserved.  It was used as a bedroom by Carl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
   
This copy of the Luther Bible from 1541 is something very special because it has hand-written drawings by Martin Luther and his colleagues.
   
 
   
Martin Luther as a young man.
   
Bust of Martin Luther.
   
A secret passage way through a half-timbered passageway.
   
 
   
The highlight of the tour, is the sparsely furnished room of Martin Luther.
 
"This was the site of one of the greatest intellectual revolutions in human history:  For 10 months, Luther hunkered down at a desk [like the one pictured here] and used original Greek sources to translate the New Testament into everyday German.  For centuries Christian worship had been passed through the obscure Latin-speaking filter of the Roman Catholic Church.  Luther's widely distributed translation gave Germans, even peasants, direct access to the Word of God.  Luther's work also helped to codify  the evolving German language -- setting the foundation for the tongue still being spoken by people around you."  -- Rick Steves.
   
I'm guessing that green piece on the left is a stove and that's a wood cabinet on the right.
   
 
   
The Castle library.
   
Back outside.
   
I didn't like the look of that stairway on the outside of the tower but Lynnette went for it.
   
Pictures from the top of the tower.  Looking down into the courtyard.
   
Looking out over Eisenach.
   
 
   
 
   
There I am, way down below!
   
Down from the tower.
   
The town of Eisenach.
   
 
   
Heading down from the Castle.
   
Looking back.
   
 
   
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