Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-01
TELL OF HIS WORK
Wittenburg Holds Services in
Honor of Luther.
EXERCISES LED BY THt KAISER
The Story OF Sehlosskireh-, on Whose
Doors Martin Nailed His Thesis.
The Ceremonies

moral church at NlttenbeTg, the res
toTatlon of which at the expense OF
Emperor WIlhsm has just been com
pleted. over tive thousand visitors Of
note, exclusive of the delegates from
the protestant countries of Europe and
the protestant princes of Germany,
are being entertained in the little
town.
The emperor arrived shortly before
. O'Clock. lie was accompanied 10y the
empress and their three sons. the duke
of York, Prince Gustaf, crown prince
OF sweden, Prince Albrecht, the regent
of Brunswick, the duke of Oldenburg,
the prince of SAKE Meneingen and
Chancellor Won Caprlvi. The duke of
York. who is the personal representa-
! tive OF Queen Victoria, is the guest of
| the emperor. The emperor drove in
all open carriage 10 the town hall,
where he was received by Burgomas-
ter Schlld, the magistrates and the
municipal counsellOrs. Burgomaster
| Schlld read an address IN which he paid
| tribute to the worth and generosity of
I tiit ha4SCl ailA tllC ON(dciO&l
with the famous entry of the Emperor
! Charles Y. into WIttenberg. The bur
\ gomaster affirmed that the history OF
the Schiossklrche was virtually the his
| tory OF the German empire.
In reply the emperor said: al will
always fulfill what my grandfather and
father promised, and rejoice to be en-
/ abled TO finish what my father, with
his great lovefo the Lutheran religion,
asplred TO complete"
| The schiosskirche.
! This old town of pointed gables,
| quaint towers and narrow streets today
presents unique aspect. Everywhere
bright banners and floral festoons are
seen and the whole town bears a hol-
day appearance. great pavilion had
been built IN front of the Schlossklrche
| doors, where the emperor received the
keys of the edltice. The church WAS
commenced In li3S and finished in
1899. In 1850 1t was seriously injured
| by bOmbardment and 1t suffered III the
same manner IN lSl3-l4. 1t was
first restored III lSl4-l7, and has
now, owing TO Emperor Williams s
generosity, been again restored.
On the north side of the church were
the wooden doors to which Luther
affixed his theses. These doors were
burned IN lT60, but were replaced in
1858 by metal doors ten feet III height.
! presented 10y Frederick William ~.
They bear the original Latin text of
Luther's theses. Above on n golden
ground Is a representation of Christ.
with Luther and Melanchthon q. his
feet; on the right and left above the
doors are statues of the electors,
| Frederick the wise and John the Con-
slant. The bodies of these electors are
buried IN the church.
In the vestlbule are a number of
paintings representing scenes in Lu-
theirs life. In the market place stands
a statue OF Luther under Gothic can
opy. The base bears the inscription:
lists Gottes Work so Wirds Bestehn;
lists Menschen Work, Wirds Inter
gehen." If 1t be Gods work it will en-
dure; II mans work, 1t will perish. }
! Under braZen slab in the Schloss-
klrche lies the remains of Luther.
Procession to the Church.
From the town hall the procession
started for the Schlosskirche. The
directors of the Wlttenberg Theological
seminary led the way and then fol-
| lowed the chief representatives of the
| Lutheran church of Prussia. Then in
splendid array came the protestant
sovereign princes and representatives
| OF the Lutheran church of Prussia.
| Then came the protestant sovereign
| princes and the representatives OF
these who were not able to be there IN
person. troop of cavalry escorted
! the kaiser. who closed the procession.
| chorus OF male voices sang Luther ;
! hymn as the procession approached
and halted at "A pavilion opposite the
| doors where Luther had nailed the
| theses. Archbishop Adler, with much
ceremony, handed TO the kaiser the
key OF the door, and the kaiser handed
| the key over TO Herr Berkhausen
! president of the high couslstory. The
latter gave the key to Superintendent
Qnandte, who unlocked the doors OF
the church and the procession entered
Throngs Cheer the Raiser.
After the service the kaiser, his fel
low princes and the other dIgnitaries
proceeded to Luther's house. The
streets on the way were thronged 10y an
enthusiastic crowd, who repeatedly IL
cheercd the kaiser. Upon arrival al
the house the kaiser inspected the
apartments which the founder of the
Lutheran church had occupied. The
kaiser, standing III Luther's own room
read in a resoundlng voice the dOCu-
ment iestifying to- the conservation oi
tie church, which the kaiser snJ al
the urnces with bum had previously
sgned TINS document reclted tna'
William l., king Of PRUSSIA and Ger
man emperor, had ordered the renova
ton Of tie church. snd tuat Emperor
Ffedorick had taken much ioterest ir
the work which NllIism III. had tina
day completed.
wiIheifu's sddres~
At the luncheon attended bJ
the German princes, representative
If foreign soverelgns and nlgi
state ofh hcais Emperor William
rose with Iuther's goblet In hls hand
aud said "A ais thankful 50 tfpd tina
7 snail druS from the goblet preseutef
/ to Martin Luther bv the town of W.T.
tenherg on the occasion of nis weld ng
~ that ttme reformation raj siresdl
gpt a footaoid o Germany, Therefore
lnthsrs -FOUR huudrstth birthday iu
4 spirfd The pan e. renovsie tne schi -
kfrche where iuther's b dY ies Ml
immortal grsadl atasr. Emperor " l.f
ann ; ana riy beloved father. I'm
paT0r sad hlag frederick ILL.,, ,iniensiec
tnst tee renovation ot the chnrCt