Luther Monument (Möhra)
The Luther monument in Möhra is a monument in the municipality of Moorgrund , part of Möhra in the Wartburg district in ( Thuringia ).
Location
The Luther monument in Möhra is located on Lutherplatz in the center of the village. The small square below the church is next to the "Luther House". According to tradition, there was a linden tree under which Martin Luther visited his relatives in Möhra on his return journey from Worms to Wittenberg and is said to have preached on May 4, 1521.
history
Preparations for the Luther anniversary in 1846
On February 18, 1846, the 300th anniversary of Martin Luther's death was to be celebrated throughout Germany. Ludwig Bechstein and his friend, court sculptor Ferdinand Müller , had already considered this day years earlier . The idea was developed to hold the most important anniversary celebration in Möhra, a small town in the Meininger Unterland, which is also the headquarters of the Thuringian Luther family. The organization required the consent of the royal family, and after a brief consultation, Hofrat Ludwig Bechstein was entrusted with the organization by the ducal administration. Initially, suggestions for the type of honor were received from him:
- Most of the incoming reports mentioned a memorial that it should be erected in Möhra or at Altenstein Castle.
- Some people from Möhra wanted to have the Luther House restored and demanded that a Luther Museum be established there.
- The reform pedagogue Friedrich Froebel spoke up and suggested the establishment of a model kindergarten in Möhra.
The majority of the requests to speak helped the idea of the Luther memorial in Möhra to break through.
The parish was too small to finance the monument, so appeals for donations were published in many Thuringian newspapers. The collection was very successful. A donation from Friedrich Schiller's sister , Court Councilor Reinwald in Meiningen, was registered as the first donation for the building . The ducal family of Sachsen-Meiningen also gave generously, and even the British Queen Adelheid made a donation. Further mailings came from Sweden and Prussia and from the Thuringian and Hessian royal houses.
The Luther statue on the village square was created in 1858 in the foundry of Jacob Daniel Burgschmiet based on a design by the Meiningen sculptor Müller . The bronze memorial could be transported to Immelborn using the Werra Railway, which was already in existence at the time . Möhra farmers transported the memorial the last stretch to its destination in horse-drawn vehicles.
Inauguration ceremony
On June 25, 1861, the inauguration took place with a ceremony. Present were among others:
- Hereditary Prince Georg II of Meiningen (later the theater duke ), son of Bernhard II.
- his wife Princess Feodora
- Prince Bernhard III. and Princess Marie
- Wood sculptor Ferdinand Müller ore caster Lenz and Herold from Nuremberg
- Baurat Döbner (Hofrat Bechstein did not live to see the unveiling)
- Captain Baron von Todenwarth
- Court preacher Ackermann
The monument was unveiled with the well-known Luther song “A fortress is our God”.
The prescribed meltdown did not take place
During the Second World War , the officially ordered provision of non-ferrous metal for the German armaments industry was expanded to include church bells and monuments. The Thuringian Chamber of Culture was authorized to decide on the use of the respective "donation". The authorities based in Weimar gave permission in 1942 to dismantle the Luther monument in Möhra in order to be able to use it for the war economy . The order was not followed in Möhra: The Möhra resident Heinrich Hofmann had received the files for confirmation, but did not immediately forward them to the Reich Chamber of Culture, as would have been his duty. When the missing documents were found in Berlin, the demolition work was ordered from there. Hofmann, succeeded again with the help of discerning officials in Meiningen to delay the execution. This is how the monument was saved.
The Luther Festival 1996
On June 23, 1996, the inauguration of the Luther memorial 135 years ago was celebrated in Möhra with a Luther Festival. The events of that time were re-enacted by amateur actors with a final unveiling ceremony.
Description of the monument
The Luther monument in Möhra shows the reformer standing on a pedestal. "Our Luther in his home town 1846" reads. The base shows three reliefs with key scenes from his life:
- the posting of theses in Wittenberg
- the capture near Altenstein Castle;
- as Junker Jörg translating the Bible at the Wartburg.
On the four edges of the pedestal you can see the evangelists, recognizable by their emblems:
- on the right front edge is Johannes (eagle)
- on the left front edge Matthew (angel)
- on the back left edge Lukas (lion)
- on the rear right edge Markus (bull's head).
The larger than life sculpture shows Luther with the open Bible in his left hand. One finds the words from the Gospel of John that make Luther's concerns clear:
- “If you will abide by my speech, you will be my true disciples and will recognize the truth, and the truth will make you free. "(Joh, 8, 31-32)
A dedication from Ludwig Bechstein was engraved on the other side of the book :
- “You donated a memorial, Luther, and dug the holy tidings clearly and deeply in marble tablets of history. The truth is eternal and that the Lord destroys the deceit that poisons the world. "
In 1991, the monument was thoroughly renovated by the manufacturer Burgschmiet Jacob Daniel Burgschmiet .
meaning
The Luther monument in Möhra is one of the most famous landmarks in the Wartburg district , it was used as a stylistic model for Luther medals and other Luther monuments. However, there is another Luther memorial not far away at the neighboring Steinbach .
literature
- NN: The Luther families in Möhra . In: Ortschronik Schweina eV (Ed.): Altensteiner Blätter . Yearbook 1993. Südthüringer Verlag, Schweina 1993, p. 137-144 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Anke Börner: "Our Luther in his home town". A reflection on the history of the Luther monument in Möhra . In: Ortschronik Schweina eV (Ed.): Altensteiner Blätter . Yearbook 1992. Südthüringer Verlag, Schweina 1992, p. 88-90 .
- ↑ Thieme-Becker Artist Lexicon, Volume 25, Page 225
- ↑ Andreas Raddatz, Dr. Polack: The unveiling of the Luther memorial in Möhra . In: Ortschronik Schweina eV (Ed.): Altensteiner Blätter . Yearbook 1996. Südthüringer Verlag, Schweina 1996, p. 102-105 .
Coordinates: 50 ° 51 ′ 42 ″ N , 10 ° 15 ′ 21 ″ E