Religious Belief in Wittenberg, Germany

Luther City Revisits the Reformation

In the “Protestant Rome,” where Luther nailed the Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the castle church, Luther tourism is a key part of the economy.  But less than ten percent of the inhabitants are Protestant after forty-five years of official atheism under Communist East Germany.  Der Spiegel online details how the Church in Germany wants to revitalize the faith in Wittenberg and the surrounding area.

Link from Arts and Letters Daily.

Martin Luther’s Seal

Luther’s famous explanation of his seal:

“There is first to be a cross, black [and placed] in a heart, which should be of its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us… Even though it is a black cross, [which] mortifies and [which] also should hurt us, yet it leaves the heart in its [natural] color [and] does not ruin nature; that is, [the cross] does not kill but keeps [man] alive… Such a heart is to be in the midst of a white rose, to symbolize that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace; in a word it places the believer into a white joyful rose; for [this faith] does not give peace and joy as the world gives and, therefore, the rose is to be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and of all the angels. Such a rose is to be in a sky-blue field, [symbolizing] that such joy in the Spirit and in faith is a beginning of the future heavenly joy; it is already a part [of faith], and is grasped through hope, even though not yet manifest. And around this field is a golden ring, [symbolizing] that in heaven such blessedness lasts forever and has no end, and in addition is precious beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable and precious metal.”

I found this image and explanation at the website of Faith Lutheran Church, Groton, Connecticut.