Wittenberg (Civ5)/Civilopedia

The city of Wittenberg, a small settlement in central Germany, claims a unique stature in history as the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation incited by Martin Luther in the 16th century. Although the city was well-established within the Holy Roman Empire as the seat of power for the Elector of Saxony, it was Martin Luther's revolt that put Wittenberg on the map.
While teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg, Martin Luther first expressed his distaste for the selling of indulgences - the process of paying the Catholic Church for the forgiveness of sin. In 1517, Martin Luther famously nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation across Europe. Although it would take more than a century before the religious wars spurred by the Reformation were resolved, Wittenberg was always remembered as the wellspring for Martin Luther's dissidence.
More recently, Wittenberg was consumed by the conflicts of World War II, although much of the city's historic center was spared from the devastation of the allied bombing campaign. Following the conclusion of the war, Wittenberg was occupied by the Soviets and became part of East Germany in 1949, where it remained until the reunification of Germany in 1990.