Germany Guide
Saxony-Anhalt and the Harz
The Lutherhaus
Address: Collegienstrasse 54
Opening time: April– Oct daily 9am–6pm; Nov– March Tues– Sun 10am–5pm
Price: €5
Telephone: 03491/420 30
Website: www.martinluther.de
At the eastern end of Collegienstrasse, beside a small park, lies the Lutherhaus, the Augustinian monastery into which Luther entered, which was then dissolved during the Reformation with one wing becoming the Luther family residence. Today the reformer's quarters contain an extraordinary collection of items relating to him in a well-executed multimedia museum that's easily the most rewarding in town, particularly thanks to excellent signage in both German and English.
The museum is entered via the Katharinenportal, a gift to Luther from his wife in 1540. Among the collection's treasures are Luther's desk, pulpit and first editions of many of his books, along with some priceless oils by Cranach the Elder, particularly his much-celebrated painting of the commandments.
Viewing a room apparently left bare as Luther had it in 1535 is another attraction, and one visited by Tsar Peter the Great in 1702, as a bit of his graffiti on the doorframe attests. Others have left their mark on Luther's legacy too: one quirky section of the museum looks at the various biopic films of Luther's life and how they dramatized its key events through the looking glass of their own times.