Wittenberg
Today Wittenberg is a small town 100 km south of Berlin. At the end of the 15th century, however, it became an important regional capital when Frederick III "the Wise", Elector of Saxony moved his court here.In 1502 the University of Wittenberg was founded, six years later a monk called Martin Luther was appointed Professor of Theology - and on October 31, 1517, he nailed his famous 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church, thus starting the Reformation.
Another famous resident of Wittenberg was Luther's friend, Lucas Cranach the Elder - one of the greatest painters of the German Renaissance and a hugely successful entrepreneur.
Word and image - two geniuses at the beginning of the Renaissance
Fighting the Devil: Luther and the Wartburg
In 1521, after standing up to Pope and emperor, Martin Luther was declared an outlaw. And indeed he was abducted - but only to take him to the Wartburg. Here, he spent 10 months in hiding, translating the Bible and writing texts that would make history.▶ The Wartburg▶ Wittenberg
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