Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-09-29
WTTENBERG.
Mrs. Kotzschmar Writes Of
luther's Home City.
The Home ard the Church Of the
Great Reformer.
a Trip on Foot 10 The Scene Of the Famous
Luther Fountain.
Wittenberg. August 18th. 1900.

A-hAA4At AlthEtr as the answer ~ IN Gil
with proud air II ownership in both,
By the combined conductor and driver
ot the one horse car which we boarded
the instant we left the train at Witten-
berg. What more could any one ask
FOR two cents and a half" was our
grateful comment as we each slipped
ten pfennigs in the box and the same
amount in the hand that held the reins.
receiving for our small fee more yalu-
able information in ten minutes than
we could use in many hours. Where in
the world can SO much be had for a
penny as In Germany. II is somewhat
iithCult for our American thought to
grasp the fact Of a coin whose value is
the fifth Of cent If such there be. u"
ana they are seen, we rejoice to say
Jhree quarters Of a cent is the lowest
igure in which we have been obliged
ID traffic. For that infnitesimal sum
an be bought a delicious fresh baked
'kuuppeL" which is a crisp crusty
little roll the length and breadth Of
wo tingers-but p-shaw, what binders
Maine from revelling in this dainty?
every nook and corner Of the German
ampire is SO accessible that its numer-
Jus historic places necessarily tempt
Is hither and yun. 50 much was told
If Wittenburg and the interest attach
ng 70 it from Martin Luthers life be-
ng spent there through the years that
ne was a monk. teacher and reformer.
hat we started early one morning to
,OrrOborate reports. Past parks and
rees embowered modern villas the first
Jart Of the way begins. Was 1t in this
..1.
he learned Luther lived? To our un-
poken question came quickly there II
5, read on the brass plate fastened to
he tree-"there DR.. Martin Luther
burned the papal bull" Unconscious
# its fame the oak, unchanging
ipreads each year its leafy branches
while he who changed the history oe
he worlds gone.
Surely this is ola and quaint enough.
ye both decided. as we stood later on
4 ne corner of the narrow street whose
A louses plain and bare are joined unin-
eruptedly, monotOnously alike in
\ rchitecture, then glancing up we saw
lofty tower and encircling it letters
4 { gold and crimson 50 large and plain
A that he who runs may read" Elm
este Burg is unser Colt" NO need Of
4 uide or book 70 tell one "Luthors
1 hurch."
We walked about its bulwarks
i eaned on the iron gate ana tried to
cad the ninety-tive theses letterad on
he bronze doors which have replaced
\ h. ones of Luther's time. to which he
pinned his famous protests where all
he town might see. At last the porter
.,,T- ~. 4 i,
riginal church has been left from the
avages Of war. that our interest
entered wholly in the fact that here
he great rcformer lies buried Two
lain brass plates set in the floor indi-
ate the graves of Luther and Mel
ncthon
one cannot 60 from place to place
Germany without being impressed
NJ the loving remembrance in which
held the short lived Emperor Fred
rick-"U user Fritz" Fronting the
hurch which he was instrumental in
estoring is a life-size figure Of this
oble man. The idea Of this originated
with a child. The day the church was
dedicated, Kaiser and Princes Of the
uited Empire We're present. Wittcn-
erg was throngcd with visitors. A
title boy was seen among the crowd,
assing from one stranger to the next.
Cling punches Of blue corn flowers;
Questioned as tn what use he should
ut the money. he rcplied-'I want to
Juy a statue Of 'Uuser Fritz for Wit
-nberS To thank him for making our
luther church So beautiful" ana from
..s beginning grew the monument 1t
but step 70 the old university
here Luther lived. ana pages could w
l.ed describing his mammoth door
."y, ten inches long. his drinking mug
ll many personal belongings The
urious double chair in which thu great
.uctor ANA his Catherine sat facing
ash other Ion an hours social con-
"rse IS sim preserved, one seat has H.
'ack whatever. the other in COMPARE
Nu seemed almost luxurious as We
aaned against the board which formed
last SOM" pretence WI "a iorstl sup
t.rt our curiosity was grartiel hut
te submit the question. which chair
.id Catherine occupy ana which the
r,at rrtormer. Pictures Of Luther
rom hoyhood up We're am about-the
BEST authenticated one is painted on
wood and is in the front Of the pulpit
laced in the lecture room. This shows
hc earnest powerful face with which
all are familiar
1t was here We saw some Of the most
interesting "Crauachs" We have Yet
encountered. The peculiar anatomical
structure Of the artists figures defies !
description and the painters worst
enemy could not accuse him Of
plagiarizing anything in heaven or on |
narth-emphatically his conceptions /
We're his own for all time The most |
original subject is his Ten Command |
ments." on each corner of the ten /
small pictures illustrating the deca-
loSUe stands a horned and tailed
Beelzebub." tempting miserable hui
manity to break the law. No words
can adequately describe the grotesque
grimaCes Of those ten demons. They
were meant 10 point a moral" but
that is wholly lost in fascinated Won
der at their diabOliCal construction. II
is not possible to miss seeing the Oldest
church in interchangeable ever way
one turns those two tall hooded towers
meet the eye. rs that a bridge that
Joins the two" We looked again and
decided that il was and quickly deter
mined two hundred feet in air would
give Us what we wanted view Of