Day 1 - Saalfeld, October 6 - After driving east for about 2 hours we arrive in the city of Eisenach [199km], one of the major Luther sights: here little Martin spent 3 years as a student, finding food and shelter in the house of Ursula Cotta. We visited Wartburg Castle, where after his excommunication in 1521 Luther was hidden by Prince Frederick. During that time he translated the New Testament from Greek into German and wrote was inspired to write A Mighty Fortress
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Posted by Carl & Maryanne:
We were met by Ule and our driver, Dirk, at the Frankfurt airport. The geeted us with a big banner that said "Welcome St. Mark Lutheran Church - Dunedin, FL". We boarded the bus and headed towards the city of Eisenach - about a 2 hour ride from Frankfurt. We visitied the Wartburg and took a tour of the castle - Mighty Fortress. We saw the room where Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Greek to German.
After a very long day we headed to our first hotel - Hotel Bergfried. We had a delicious dinner consisting of soup & salad, Elk and potato dumplings. For dessert we had homemade vanilla ice cream with real whipped cream topping and sauteed cherries.
Everybody was pretty tired and looked forward to a good night's sleep.
Posted by Pastor Alan:
On our way to Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, we stopped for our first lunch -- we were hungry, and the only place that was quick enough was a McDonald's -- not exactly culture shock, but we did get to order in German and pay the customary 50 cent fee for the use of toilets.
Martin Luther was hidden at the Wartburg Castle from his powerful enemies and lived there under an assumed identity -- Knight George. In hiding, he translated the New Testament from Greek into the German language of his people. The Wartburg Castle was also an inspiration for Luther's greatest hymn -- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.
When we arrived, we were all still pretty jet lagged. The castle stands atop a high hill andwe had to climb hundreds of stone steps to ascend to the top. There was a shuttle for those who had trouble walking, but most of us made the hike. It was beautiful. As we approached the castle, we found a stand selling Thuringer Wurst (sausages) fresh off teh grill -- maybe the best sausage we had on the whole trip.
The Wartburg is also significant for the remebrance of 11th century Saint Elizabeth, an important saint for Luther and still today for the people of Germany. Her acts of charity and love for the poor serve as an example of faith in action.
Our devotions this day were held on the bus, led (as on all days except the last) by Pastor Phyllis. Our word for the day: SAVED BY GRACE.
After the Wartburg, we drove to our hotel in Saalfeld. Because of our delayed flight and unexpected detours, we arrived later than planned, but were greeted by the wonderful family which runs the inn. It was out in the country and the personla attention and charming rooms made this hotel one of our favorites.
Just a note: most of trip was in former East Germany. The economy is still depressed as they come out of the oppression they experienced. Most locals speak little English, but they are so welcoming and eager to communicate with us. I found this very nice -- we were all working hard to communicate and discovered that a smile and some attempts at one another's language goes a long way to forming friendships.
We also discovered that Germans have very night light switches and toilet flushing buttons, but that door knobs and locks are more difficult than you'd care to imagine. (This held true at nost of our hotels.)
Day 2 -Erfurt, October 7 - Our second day is devoted to this colorful historic town about an hour from Saalfeld, where Martin Luther attended the university. He entered the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt and lived there as a monk for 6 years. We visited the monastry Luther lived in and celebrated his first mass. As we further explored the city we visited the unique ensemble of two churches, the Cathedral of Mary and the Severi church. In the afternoon we had free time to further explore on our own and mingle with the people of Erfurt before we return to our Saalefeld hotel.
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Posted by Carl & Maryanne:
Sunday started out with a delicous breakfast at the Hotel - they had a variety of breads, meat, cheese, fruit and eggs. We boarded the bus and headed towards the city of Weimar. We attended Church service in the Stadtkirche where they had a special Cantata service (Bach Cantata BWV 56). The entire service was in German but we could distinguish where they were in the service.
After Service, we got back on the bus and headed to Erfurt. Pastor Phyllis lead a devotion at the Church of the Augustinian Monastery. This is the Church where Martin Luther celebrated Mass for the first time. We toured the Monastery visiting the cell where Martin Luther prayed and studied.
We were met by a local tour guide who took us on a 2 hour walking tour of the city. We saw the University that Luther attended.
After the tour we had an opportunity to explore the city on our own. Some people just strolled the street while others ate lots and lots of ice cream (names to remain anonymous).
After another exhausting day, we made it back to our hotel and feasted on a barbecue consisting of brats and pork and yes, more ice cream. Forgot to mention that each day Ule has a surprise for us on the bus - the surprise usually is dark and rich and Ule claims is healthy for us. Nothing like German chocolate.
Forgot to mention that we celebrated Communion together in the Church of the Augustinan Monastery.
Posted by Pastor Alan:
Carl mentioned the church service in Weimar. It was a great experience to worship with a German congregation; even though we didn't understand the language, we could kind of follow the liturgy and sing the hymns, many of which had familiar melodies. The cantata was very well done -- an small orchestra (maybe 8 pieces), a soloist and a chorus. We had the words translated for us by Uli, so we could follow along on that part of the service.
We moved on to Erfurt, where Luther attended University as an Augustinian monk. One of the highlights of the trip for me was sharing Commmunion in the same place that Martin Luther celebrated his first mass. Phyllis and I prayed together on the same bench where Luther had sat prior to giving Communion and then Phyllis led us in a wonderful service of Communion. We shared God's peace with hugs all around and then received Christ's body and blood, given and shed for us. We are so thankful that Uli and Phyllis worked so hard to arrange special spaces for our devotions and that the people who care for these historic places were so willing to let us use them for worship. Our word for the day was: INCREASE OUR FAITH.
As we concluded the service, the sanctuary was filled with the sound of a trumpet playing "A MIghty Fortress." It was our guide for Erfurt, who is also a professional musician. He led us through the church and monastery, including the cell where Luther most often studied and worked. Then we toured the charming city of Erfurt, walking over a bridge entirely covered with houses and shops. We had some free time for lunch and sightseeing -- there was a huge ferris wheel and carnival rides in one courtyard -- a good place for people-watching.
Our dinner back at the hotel was delicious and a number of us lingered past closing time, reliving another wonderful day in Germany.
Day 3 & 4 -Zeitz, October 8 & 9 - Today we traveled to Zeitz, a little city connected to Martin Luther and his wife Katharina and their descendants. We als were treated to a hug from a 13th generation granddaughter of the famous couple. Our first day in Zeitz included a guided tour of the old town, a march through the “underground” world of Zeitz—the fascinating “2 storey down” basements to the medieval houses, a visit to city hall where we met with the mayor, and a look at a first print poster of Luther’s 95 theses—one of only three left in the world today. We were served a light lunch in the Michaelis church café by some of the ladies of the church. Mid-afternoon checked into our hotel in Zeitz. Our afternoon and evening was free to enjoy Zeitz.
Our second day in Zeitz centered around the Morritzburg, proud castle of the city and its cathedral. We toured the cathedral, enjoyed a breathtaking organ concert, and were able to take a look at the interesting collection of books and artifacts in the library of the Luther descendants. We finished our day at the exquisite Orangerie restaurant, run by another descendant of Luther.
Comments:
Posted by Carl & Maryanne:
First a couple of apologies:
I've been spelling Uli's name incorrectly. It is "Uli".
Day 4 - Monday October 8. We checked out of our hotel, boarded the bus and headed to the city of Zeitz. When we entered the city we were greeted by Henriette Rossner who is a thirteenth generation direct descendant of Martin and Kati Luther. We then split into two groups where we tored the city above ground and below ground (the underground system of Zeitz).
The ladies of the church made and served us a delicous lunch consisting of brats and potato salad. For dessert we had home made apple cake and fresh fruit (we are all loosening our belts). Then we had the opportunity to see one of only 6 remaining first prints of Martin Luther's 95 Thesis (printed in 1517).
We had free time to stroll the streets. Very few Americans have visited the city of Zeitz so it was a big happening for us to be in the city. When we were going to tour City Hall we were met by a local newspaper reporter and photgrapher who took our pictures and interviewed us. We believe that we will be in tomorrow's newspaper. The Mayor himself, greeted us at City Hall and gave us a tour of this historic building. He also made an exception and allowed us to walk up the top of the City Hall Tower where we had a wonderful view of the city (the climb consisted of 192 steps).
We then went to St. Michaelis Church where Pastor Phllis led us in devotion and Cheryl Burton played the organ as we sang together. We visited the library in the Church which contained books over 500 years old!
As a special treat, Uli invited us to go to a winery called Weingut Salsitz. There we tasted a wine called Federweisser which is only found in Germany. This vineyard reopened 5 years ago after being shut down under the East Germany rule. We were also served lard bread and liverwurst. The baker in town made special onion bread for this occasion.
After anothery very very very long day we have arrived at our second hotel - Hotel Amadeus in a town called Osterfeld.
BTW - very few people, if any, speak English since we are in the former East Germany so it has been interesting attempting to order and buy things.
We will update again tomorrow night.
Posted by Carl & Maryanne:
Well we are excited to report that we have made the newpapers here in Zeitz and no it is not because of unruly behavior. We have purchased lots of copies of newspapers to bring back with us - some of our pictures appear in the paper and some of us were quoted. Read the entire newspaper article by clicking below
We started our day off at the Castle where we were given a delightful tour which included visiting the crypt......pictures will tell it all. The church contained a pipe organ from the 17th century and our own Cheryl had a chance to play on it. In addition, we enjoyed a wonderful concert by Herr Lebek. This concert was given at the conclusion of our daily devotion led by Pastor Phyllis.
Then we had some free time to grab lunch. After lunch we headed back to the cathedral - which I failed to mention was the seat of the Bishop in the late 1st century and then again in the early 13th century. We took a tour of the Luther family private library. It contained personal books of the Luther family -which had been taken over by the East German state and returned to the family after reunification (just recently).
Then we visited a library that contained some very old books - including the private library of Bishop Julius von Ptlug. We also saw an original medieval map which will be published to the world in another year. In this library was found text from a book dated back to the year 450.
Will log on again later ...currently on free time.
Posted by Ruth Titus:
IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYONE IS HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME. I THINK YOU HAVE SAMPLED EVERY FOOD THEY HAVE OVER THERE AND HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING EACH BITE. BRING BACK SOME OF THAT GERMAN CHOCOLATE. EACH DAY GETS MORE EXCITING. CHERYL YOU WILL BE KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD. I GUESS YOU ALL WILL BE NOW THAT YOU HAVE MADE THE PAPER. WILL WE HAVE TO ASK FOR AUTOGRAPHS WHEN YOU GET BACK??? WE ALL MISS YOU AND YOU ARE IN OUR IN OUR PRAYERS. ENJOY THIS PRECIOUS TRIP.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
As we loaded up the bus and drove away from our Sallfeld hotel, the family who had welcomed us to their inn and who had served us so well gathered on the walk and waved goodbye. They were very special people, who were working hard to create a beuatiful and tranquil place in an emerging eastern Germany.
Posted by Pastor Alan:
We traveled on to Zeitz, where, as we stepped off the bus, we were greeted by a welcoming committee, icluding Henritta Rossner, a 13th generation direct descendant of Martin Luther. The city of Zeitz receives few foreign tourists, so our arrival was somewhat of an event. We were given a tour by the mayor, interviewed for the newspaper (with 2 color photos splashed onto page one of the section section), and treated to lunch by the ladies of the church.
Even though Zeitz isn't on the main tour circuit, it had quit a lot to offer. It is a very old city (first mentioned in 967 AD) with ancient churches, castles and other buildings. We went on a walk through second-story-down basements, which had been used for storing beer in the 1200's and were then connected by passageways to be used as bomb shelters during the war. It was cold, damp, dark and kind of adventurous. After lunch with thte ladies of the church, Mayor Dieter Kmietczyk met us at the old city hall (Rathaus), showing us the beautiful halls, includint the historic room where the city council meets -- a room dedicated to peace and to the people who have worked and lived in Zeitz. Following our tour, many of us climbed 900+ steps to the old tower, which gave us a spectacular view of Zeitz and the surrounding area.
We toured St. Michael's Church, which dates from 1154 AD. A small congregation struggles to keep up this massive and historic building and to catalog books that date back centuries. Some of Luther's descendants continue to worship here and we were treated to a tour by members of the congregation. Cheryl had a chance to play the organ. It was a privilege to be their guests.
Our devotions for the day were held in St. Micahel's. We focused on family and ancestry. Our word of the day was: LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART.
On our way back to the hotel, Uli surprised us with a visit to a small German winery, where we were treated to Onion bread and a partially fermented wine, poured straight from the barrels. (I forget the German name of the wine, but in was a real treat.) This was another family-run business and once again the proprietors, who spoke little English, welcomed us warmly as if into their home. Thanks, Uli, for making this possible!
We arrived at the outskirts of a town next to Zeitz for a stay in a fairly modern atrium-style hotel. It was probably my least favorite of our hotels in terms of charm and service, but the rooms were fine and we slept well after a light dinner in the restaurant.
SECOND DAY IN ZEITZ
I think this is the day Uli took us to the Aldi Discount store, where many of us bought candy and assorted goodies to bring home as souvenirs (and children's sermon candy and confirmation candy). We found that many places (like Aldi) do not accept credit cards, so we made more visits than anticipated to ATMs, where it's easy to withdraw euros at the current exchange rate.
We proceeded to Zeitz for a second day of touring, beginning at the castle in the morning and then exploring two libraries in the afternoon. A highlight of the castle was the castle church, where we visited an ancient catacomb and were the treated to an organ concert by Herr Peter Lebek, who has been called a modern Bach. One library we visited was the family library of the Luther relatives (Lutheriden), housed in the castle. The other was a very modern, scholarly research library, containing a massive volume of ancient books, dating back to the fifth century. (We had to wear latex gloves if we wanted to touch anything.) We also saw an interesting early map of the world (where south was drawn at the top!) Don won a contest with the closest guess as to the date of the oldest book -- that got him a glass of wine at dinner compliments of Uli.
Dinner was a tremendous celebration with some of the people we had met in Zeitz. We ate at the castle restaurant -- the Orangerie and were entertained by Uli as he sang a romantic song with his guitar and by Frau Henrietta Roessler (the Luther descendant), who read a fictionalized account of Katie Luther giving her husband, Martin, a good talking to. Our food was based on a traditional German Oktoberfest. At the end of the evening, each lady was presented with a rose.
Day 5 - Eisleben, Wittenberg, October 10 - Today we continued to the little city of Eisleben, the birthplace of Luther and the town he returned to before his death in 1546. We visited the church he was baptized in, the church where he gave his last sermon and where his body was laid out before returning home to Wittenberg. Mid afternoon we continued our journey to the city of Wittenberg. Our hotel in Wittenberg is a former inn frequented by Luther.
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Posted by Carl & Maryanne
Here it is day 5 already. Time is flying by. We have seen so many interesting places and heard so many facts it's hard to remember them all.
Today we went to Eisleben which is about 82km (about 50 miles from Zeitz). Eisleben which is sometimes referred to as the "Bethlehem and the Jerusalem of the reformer". On November 10, 1483 Martin Luther was born in what was then the "Lange Gasse" (Long Alley). The next day he was baptised at a nearby church of St. Peter-Paul.
Pastor Phyllis led a devotional in the same church where Martin Luther was baptised. Later, we had the pleasure of listening to the history of the church from Pastor Scott Moore (who happens to be an American).
We met a local tour guide who took us around the city. We visited the birthplace of Martin Luther and also where he died.
At night we boarded the bus and headed to Wittenburg where we stayed at the Hotel Goldener Adler. We had dinner in a restaurant that Martin Luther visited frequently (the Brauhaus Wittenberg)
Day 6 - Wittenberg, October 11 - Our day began with a guided tour of Wittenberg, the spiritual center of the Lutheran reformation. Among the sights we saw was the house where Luther lived, the Schlosskirche (castle church) where Luther nailed his 95 theses to the entrance door, and the Stadtkirche (parish church) where Luther preached. We had the first part of the afternoon free to explore Wittenberg on our own. Late afternoon we had a walking tour and dinner was a special “Luther Meal”.
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Posted by Carl & Maryanne
Today we spent the entire day in Wittenberg. No bus ride today as Geman law requires that the bus driver take off for 24 hours after driving for 6 days in a row.
Wittenburg is considered the spiritual center of the Lutheran reformation so there was plenty to see and do. The first place we visited was Luther's house. Luther started living here in 1508. The only room that is in it's original state was the living room so we got to see first hand how it looked and felt during Luther's time (we have plenty of pictures that we will share with everybody when we get back).
We then went to the Castle Church (Schlosskirche) where Luther nailed his 95 theses to the entrance door. These churches are sight to behold. They are very big and ornate (remember these churches were originally Catholic churches).
Whish we had more time to write but we need to get back on the bus. We will have lot's stories and pictures when we get back.
Day 7 - Torgau, Leipzig, Alsfeld, October 12 - On our journey to the city of Alsfeld we visited Torgau, where Luther’s wife Katharina died and was buried. We continued to Leipzig, the city of Johann Sebastian Bach and then continue to the city of Alsfeld.
Day 8 - Alsfeld & Marburg, October 13 - Our day began with a visit to the center of Alsfeld, known as a model for the reconstruction of medieval cities. Our final destination is the city of Marburg, one of the pretties and oldest university cities in Germany. We toured the church of St. Elisabeth, the oldest Gothic style church in the land. Our afternoon was free to explore this beautiful city and maybe a little shopping. We returned to our hotel in the late afternoon for our grand farewell dinner.
