Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-03
|OLD CITY OF WORMS
Scene of the Trial of Luther
on Charge of Heresy.
NOTED BUILDING REMAINS
Cathedral Regarded as Among Most
Imposing Edifces in Europe.
OTHER ANCIENT STRUCTURES
Elaborate Modern Monument to the
Famous Ecclesiastic, the Author
of Lutheran Doctrine.
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.


domes between them. The impression
produced upon one who sees it for the
first time is Of dignity and simplicity.
which is emphasized by the natural
color of the red sandstone of which it
is built.
The lower part Of the main building
belongs to the original cathedral built
in the ninth century by Charlie
magne; the remainder is of the twelfth
century, and it was probably completed
and dedicated in the year 1851. Some
of the ornamentation is modern, but
few churches of ancient times have
suffered less from repairs and restora-
ton. The cathedral is 4s5 feet long,
an average Of ia feet wide and $50
feet high. It still belongs to the
Roman Catholic Church, although the
embraced Professionalism in 1875, four
years after the famous diet.
Traces of Early Mural Paintings.
There are some interesting traces of
Iearly German mural paintings on the
walls and in the chapel Of st. Nicholas
Iare ancient carvings representing the
annunciatiOn, the nativity, the descent
from the cross, the resurrection and a
curious genealogical tree Of the blessed
Virgin.
The square in front Of the cathedral
Brnnh 5He sand and chriemhiide, as repre-.
scented in Wagner's operas Of the Nibel-
ungenlied, and in the scenery used in
German opera houses the surroundings
are accurately represented.
Mass was sung in this cathedral in
the presence of Charles V and the
princes who surrounded him the morning
that Luther was called before the i'm
peral diet and on the morning after,
| nd vx-fri ha mr. n q
lit is entirely probable. if it is not GER
tain, that he attended with other &C.
clesastics. 1t would have been very
strange if he had not done so.
On the north side of the cathedral a
red sandstone wall forms part of the
Enclosure of a beautiful garden, belong
ing to Baron Heyl 1t is the only frag-
ment remaining of the old bishopshorf
There is model Of the palace as 1t ap-
peared after its reconstruction in 1919,
presenting long facade as long as an
ordinary city block. with a bay window
| in the middle, dormer windows jutting
out from the roof and an arcade at
either end. 1t was destroyed by fire
during the French occupation OF Worms
in 1914, and never rebuilt. This model
undoubtedly resembles the original, al
though there is no record as to the ex-
tent Of the changes that were made at
the time of it's reconstruction.
Worms the Mother Of Diets"
Worms was called 1.-THE Mother of
Diets At that time, and for several
centuries previous, Aix-la-Chapelle was
the capital of the Holy Roman empire,
and the palace Of Charlemagne in that
city was theoretically the residence Of
the emperor, but he seldom occupied 1t,
and, because of the jealousy between the
different states, the diet. or parliament.
met from time to time in different cities.
where the itnerant emperor happened to
be for the time, or as convenience die
tated. These national gatherings, which
partook of the character Of executive
councils. as we'll as legislative assemblies
occurred more frequently at Worms than
at any other place, until 1859. when the
city was laid in ashes by the French, q
calamity from which 1t has never recov-
cred. and the population of today-about
45,OOO-is not as large as it was at that
time.
Worms is still the seat Of a bishop OF
the Roman Catholic faith, who occupies a
handsome modern residence, and about
one-third of the population are Roman
Catholics. There are eight Roman Cath
| olic churches, one Ut them, Paulus-Ker-
che, which dates from 11O2-16, being used
as a museum of historical relics and
Germanic antiquities of all epochs. Among
them are excellent specimens of Roman
helmets, swords. armor and utensils: also
much glass which dates back to the
Roman period.
A room furnished in the gothic style,
and called the Luther Library con-
tains full sets of all the editions of the
printed works of Luther and long shelves
filled with biographies and other histori-
cal works pertaining to the Reformation
There are three autograph letters OF
Luther in case. The other shelves are
filed with books printed on the first press
set up at Worms in the year 1512. The
principal Protestant church is dedicated
to the Trinity.
| Dates Back to Year 5S6.
One of the most interesting and ancient
buildings in Worms is a synagogue which
dates back to the year 5SS. The Jewish
community, numbering perhaps 900 PEG.
pie. claims to be the oldest in Europe, and
to have existed continuously since the
fourth century before the Christian era
Like their co-regilionists of Toledo, Spain
the Jews of Worms insist that their an
cestOrs had nothing to do with the cru
cifxion. because they had emigrated from
Palestine long before that time; and
their records show that after several con-
ferences the leaders Of the community
sent one of their rabbis to Jerusalem tC
protest against the persecution of Christ
but he did not arrive until several months
after the great tragedy.
| The most elaborate monument ever
erected in honor of Martin Luther may
be seen at Worms. 1t is entirely mod
ern, having been unveiled in 1863. A
colossal bronze statue of the reformer.
twelve feet high, and holding an open
Bible in his hand. rises from a pedestal
ten feet high and forty-eight feet square
The sides of the pedestal are embellished
with medallion portraits Of his cotenl,
poraries. bronze reliefs representing
scenes in his history, and coats Of arms
| of the twenty-four German cities and
towns which first accepted the Protest.
ant faith.
/! Surrounding the central pedestal are
life-size sitting figures of Waldus C197).
Wycliffe u3S7), HusS Q415) and Savanna
rola Q49S, the heralds OF the reforma-
ton.
Upon side pedestals at the corners OF
the platform are heroic statues of Me-
lanchthon, Reuchlin, Philip 1.-THE Gener-
GUS of Hesse and Frederick 1.-The Wise
of Saxony, each nine feet high. Between
these, on lower pedestals. are categorical
groups Of bronze. 1t is one Of the largest
and most elaborate monuments ever
erected.
Meets Charge of Heresy.
1t will be remembered that in April,
1921, Martin Luther was called before
the imperial Diet of Worms by the Arch
bishop of Trier, the spiritual magnate of
that diocese, to answer charges OF
heresy preferred against him by Dr. Johann
Won Eek Of 1ngolstadt, Bavaria. who was
CONTINUED on Twelfth Page5