Luther Monument (Eisenach)
The Luther monument in Eisenach on Karlsplatz was inaugurated in 1895. The monument honors the reformer Martin Luther , who stayed at the Wartburg near Eisenach from 1521 to 1522 . It was created by the sculptor Adolf von Donndorf .
description
The Eisenach Luther Monument is a larger than life statue made of bronze on a red-colored profiled stone base . The three-line gold-plated inscription on the polished stone base reads:
ERECTED ON THE MEMORIAL DAY OF LUTHER'S ARRIVAL IN WARTBURG,
4 MAY 1895.
The four bronze reliefs on the base show scenes with a local reference from the life of Martin Luther:
- On the west side Luther was portrayed as a boy and a carolers singer ; Mrs. Cotta Luther leans towards him.
- The board on the south side shows the Luther room on the Wartburg, Luther is sitting at the table and concentrating on translating the Bible ; Books fill every place in his room.
- The eastern panel shows the Junker Jörg - for whom Luther was supposed to be - dressed as a hunter, but in a thoughtful, meditating posture . A habit that corresponded to his monastic training .
- The fourth panel, on the north side, illustrates Luther's maxim in life: A solid castle is our God , the beginning of his famous hymn.
The actual memorial shows Luther wearing a robe and holding the Bible in his hands. The closed outline of the figure underlines Luther's personality.
history
Laying of the foundation stone
In October and November 1889 the 3rd General Assembly of the Evangelical Federation took place in Eisenach . The highlight of this conference was the laying of the foundation stone for the Eisenach Luther memorial. In the run-up to the conference, a Luther Monument Committee met, which was responsible for organizational and artistic matters. The sculptor was Adolf von Donndorf, who was born in Weimar in 1835 and was well-known for his Bach monument already erected in Eisenach and the Weimar equestrian statue of Carl August . The city administration intended the Karlsplatz at the Nikolaikirche as the optimal location for the monument . This was originally the medieval market square in the Nikolai district in Eisenach's old town.
inauguration
The Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach laid the foundation stone on November 3, 1889, in the presence of representatives of the Protestant regional church, the Weimar court, the state government, the Eisenach city administration and around 10,000 visitors. To do this, he symbolically hit the foundation stone with three hammer blows. On May 4, 1895, Luther's day of arrival at the Wartburg, the unveiling and inauguration ceremony of the monument took place as a state ceremony.
The location at Karlsplatz
The memorial was placed in the center of Karlsplatz. The monument figure faces south, towards the Wartburg . The area near the monument was redesigned several times in the period that followed. A photo from 1912 shows the monument surrounded by a wrought-iron ornamental grille on the base and another filigree ornamental grille, which encloses an octagonal flower border with the monument in the center. Immediately south of the monument, a road and rail route for the Eisenach tram was separated for the developing road traffic . Ornamental grilles and borders were removed as early as 1925, the entire Karlsplatz was completely leveled and paved, the memorial stood "alone" in the room.
Another redesign of Karlsplatz in the 1950s created a more spacious green area with benches and flower beds around the monument, the current trees were planted and a technical building with a kiosk and bus shelter for the tram was built. After 1990, this already very dilapidated building was found to be disruptive and removed. Since the mid-1990s, plans for a comprehensive urban redesign of the monument area and Karlsplatz have been ripening again. In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation , the monument was extensively renovated in 2014.
"At eye level with Luther"
On the occasion of the Luther year 2017 and the Reformation anniversary in 2017 , the monument was enclosed in October 2017; it is an art project by the Japanese Tatzu Nishi . The upper half of the monument now sits enthroned on a bed in a modernly furnished bedroom that is accessible from the outside. Under the motto In bed with Luther, the installation is intended to bring Luther down from his monumental base and thus make it easier for the viewer to experience it “at eye level”.
meaning
The Luther monument on Karlsplatz is one of the most famous landmarks in the city of Eisenach. The Luther monument in Möhra , erected in 1861, served as a model for the Luther monument in Eisenach.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Isolde Lehmann monuments in Eisenach , in: EP Report 2 - Heimatblätter des Eisenacher Land, Marburg, ISBN 3-924269-94-7 - p. 55f
- ↑ Artur Heuse groundbreaking ceremony and unveiling of the Luther monument in the Karlsplatz in Eisenach , in: EP Report 4 - Heimatblätter the Eisenach country in 1993, Marburg, ISBN 3-924269-61-0 - S. 95f
- ^ At eye level with Luther , accessed November 15, 2016
- ^ Art project opened on Eisenacher Karlsplatz , Thüringer Allgemeine from October 16, 2016, accessed on November 15, 2016
Coordinates: 50 ° 58 ′ 31.9 ″ N , 10 ° 19 ′ 31.1 ″ E