Wittenberg << VIHT ehn burk or WIHT uhn burg >> (pop. 47,390) is a historic city in east-central Germany . The city is most famous as the place where the Protestant reformer Martin Luther lived and worked in the early 1500’s. It is considered the birthplace of the Reformation, the religious movement that led to the start of Protestantism.
Wittenberg lies on the Elbe River about 56 miles (90 kilometers) southwest of Berlin. It is the administrative center of the district of Wittenberg in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Local industries produce chemical products, electronic products, and transportation equipment. Tourism is also an important economic activity.
The first known mention of the town in historical documents dates from 1180. Wittenberg was chartered as a city in 1293. Frederick the Wise, the elector (ruler) of Saxony, established Wittenberg University there in 1502. Luther received a doctorate in theology from Wittenberg University in 1512 and then taught there as a professor of Biblical theology.
In October 1517, Luther wrote his famous Ninety-Five Theses (articles for academic debate) and sent them to the archbishop of the German city of Mainz. The theses criticized certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church at the time. On Oct. 31, 1517, according to tradition, Luther also posted the Ninety-Five Theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church door, which acted as the university’s bulletin board. At the time, Luther had no intention of breaking with the established church. However, his actions sparked a reform movement that soon spread across Europe. With Luther and several other reformers based in Wittenberg, the town became an important center of the Reformation movement during the first half of the 1500’s.
In recognition of Luther’s major role in the history of the city and the Reformation, Wittenberg’s leaders added the word Lutherstadt (Luther city) to the city’s name in 1922. The German government recognized Lutherstadt Wittenberg as the city’s full official name in 1938, but the city is still commonly called Wittenberg. In 1996, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) added several Reformation-related places in Wittenberg to its World Heritage List, an international registry of sites with great natural or cultural value. These places include the Castle Church; St. Mary’s Church, where Luther often preached; the home of Philipp Melanchthon, an educator and fellow reformer; and Luther’s home, now a Reformation museum.
