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Saxony-anhalt GERMANY’s CULTURAL TREASURE CHEST 2 VINEYARDS SURROUND FREYBURG (UNSTRUT) SAXONY-ANHALT Germany Capital: Magdeburg Area: 7,895 square miles Population: 2.5 million www.sachsen-anhalt.de 3 ,, YOU ARE INviTED TO SAXONY-ANHALT: GERMANy’S CULTURAL TREASURE CHEST. STEPHAN ,, DORGERLOH Secretary for Education and Two decades after the peaceful revolution and the subsequent reunification of Culture Germany, it is time to discover – or re-discover – the cultural heart of Germany. Despite the rebirth of our state, our heritage has never changed. In the past twenty years we have worked hard to restore our magnificent castles and impressive cathedrals, powerful fortresses and atmospheric old towns. So now, I would like you to visit these magical places, with stories that resonate around the world. At the same time, we have built competitive new businesses, many of which trade abroad, often with our friends in the United States of America. In fact, we attract more inward investment than any other former East German state. We believe that much of our success, both present and future, is built on our past. Although Germany’s cultural treasure chest is about the same size as New Jersey, it has long stood at a cultural crossroads. Our history stretches back over a thousand years and includes many famous people, who have influenced the world: • Martin Luther, the reformer and catalyst for the Protestant Reformation • Otto von Bismarck, who unified the nation state that is Germany • J. S. Bach and George Frederick Handel, two of the world’s great composers • Lucas Cranach, the finest painter of his era • Walter Gropius, the architect and founder of the Bauhaus As I have mentioned, we have glorious buildings, from churches and castles to half- timbered houses and 20th-century classics designed by the Bauhaus (the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation continues here in Saxony-Anhalt). But, it is the great individuals, both men and women, who have inspired us for centuries. What’s more, many of them sailed to the U.S.A. and left their mark on American history. • Henry Muhlenberg was the Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in North America; his descendants played a major role in U.S. politics and government. • Friedrich von Steuben was General Washington’s Chief of Staff and is remembered across the U.S.A. with annual German-American Steuben Parades. I invite you to read through the following pages, which also take you to our gardens, vineyards and unspoiled countryside; to our classical concerts and traditional Christmas markets; and, of course, our taverns – places to meet and chat to locals. After all, as I said, we are all about people. WILLKOMMEN IN SACHSEN-ANHALT! WELCOME TO SAXONY-ANHALT! Stephan Dorgerloh Secretary for Education and Culture 4 SAXONY-ANHALT’S CULTURAL TREASURE CHEST Lifting the lid on Saxony-Anhalt’s 1,000-year- old cultural treasure chest reveals a surprisingly wide array of riches. There are great musicians and great architects, historic buildings and glori- ous gardens, fine wines and inspired artists. And 12 there are men who sailed the Atlantic to make a major impact on the history of the United States of America. THE AMERICAN CONNECTION SAXONY-ANHALTERS IN THE U.S.A. 4 16 MARTIN LUTHER CULTURAL AND THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION POWERHOUSE FROM ART TO MUSic 8 20 THE BAUHAUS A SAXONY-ANHALT CHANgiNG THE WAY WE LivE SPECIALTY HALF-TIMBERED HOUSES 5 24 32 WINE AND FOOD ANNUAL FESTIVALS LOCAL SPECIALTIES AND EVENTS 26 CONTEMPORARY MAP OF CREATIVITY SAXONY-ANHALT NEW NAMES, NEW idEAS INSidE BACK COVER UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Saxony-Anhalt has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other state in Germany. This honor places some of the state‘s greatest treasures on the same level of cultural importance as the Py- ramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty in the U.S.A. 28 The four sites are: the Old Town of Quedlinburg, the sites associated with Luther in Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Lutherstadt Eisleben, the Dessau- THE GREEN STATE Wörlitz Garden Kingdom and the Bauhaus in Dessau. WORLD CLASS GARDENS 6 MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546) In 1508, Martin Luther took up a teaching position at the university in Wittenberg. Nine years later, on October 31, 1517, the 34-year-old monk nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of the Castle Church in this important trading town. His act of defiance set in motion a chain of events that changed the history of the world. 7 the church. But his action prompted theological discussion and many agreed with his views. And, there was more. Luther translated the New Testament into German, believing that ordinary people MARTIN LUTHER should be able to read the Holy Scripture for themselves. Published in 1522, the first edition sold out; demand continued and in two years, it was reprinted over 60 AND THE times. The subsequent edition (1534), with both Old and PROTESTANT New Testaments, continued to be a “bestseller.” CHURCH What started out as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Europe led to what is known as the Protestant Reformation. This was not just one single event; it was a string of episodes that resulted in a massive change. When Martin Luther strode on to the stage of history, he was the right man in the right place and at the right time. After much study of the Bible, he decided that salvation was a personal matter between man and God. He also objected to practices such as the selling of “indulgences,” seen by many as a way of “buying your way into heaven.” He argued that the Catholic Church had to be reformed, so that it would be more fair, less greedy and accessible to all. Debate was one thing, but a public challenge to papal authority was a serious matter. After Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door, this highly-intellectual German monk was condemned as a heretic and declared an outlaw by LUTHERSTADT WITTENBERG The Castle Church, where Luther nailed his 95 Theses. LUTHERSTADT WITTENBERG THE LUTHER DECADE LUTHER HOUSE Now one of the four UNESCO In 2017, Protestant communities around the world will celeb- World Heritage sites in Saxony- rate Martin Luther’s famous act of protest in Wittenberg. What Anhalt, this former Augustinian he did – and why – resonated over the years and across the monastery was Luther‘s home. world. He may not have actually said, “Here I stand. I cannot Now a museum of the Reforma - do otherwise.” But, his challenge to authority was based on tion, the highlight is the Living the idea that an individual had – and must follow – his own Room, with its 16th-century furnishings. A professor at Wit- religious conscience. Once unleashed, that revolutionary idea tenberg University, many of his could not be stopped. And, when Protestants sailed from the conversations with his colleagues Old World to the New a century or so later, one of the reasons and students are collected in a for the journey was to have the freedom to worship as they book, Table Talk (1566). wished. | www.luther2017.de LUTHER HOUSE 8 LUTHER THE MAN WHO CHANGED HISTORY Although Luther lived five centuries ago, his presence is still tangible. In the cultural treasure chest that is Saxony-Anhalt, visitors can, literally, walk in his footsteps. They can see pulpits from which he preached, and even eat the sort of sausages that he would have enjoyed. They can also see what he looked like. As well as statues and portraits, there is his death mask – and also a cast of his hands – on display in Halle (Saale). Here, too, are copies of the Bible with his hand-written notes. Martin Luther was a passionate and charismatic man. On the one hand, he had a ferocious intellect; on the other, he enjoyed his beer and food. He could be as stubborn as a mule, but he was also great company and left thousands of quotable quotes that are pithy, witty and memorable. Although trained as a monk and ordained a priest, he went on to choose a different life. In 1525, he married a former nun, Katharina von Bora (1499-1552) and become a devoted father and family man. In his later years, Luther continued to write, teach and preach hundreds of sermons, despite suffering from painful illnesses, such as kidney stones. He also wrote music, including carols and hymns, such as A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. KATHARINA VON BORA (1499-1552) If ever there was a “power behind the throne,” it was Katharina von Bora. Born of a noble, but poor, family, she was sent away to school and then became a nun. In 1523, with the Reformation under way, she and 11 fellow nuns es - caped from their convent and fled to Wittenberg. According to legend, they were taken in by the painter Lucas Cranach, who was a friend of Martin Luther. On June 13, 1525, the LUTHERSTADT EISLEBEN 42-year-old former monk married the 26-year-old former MARTIN LUTHER’S BIRTHPLACE nun. During their long and happy marriage, she bore six children, ran the household, organized the family finances, Yet another UNESCO World Heritage site in Saxony-Anhalt, dealt with Luther‘s publishers – and was his sole heir. Eisleben is where Luther was born, in 1483 – and where he died, in 1546. Destroyed by fire in 1689, the Geburtshaus (his birthplace), was reconstructed and soon became an early example of “heritage tourism.” Visitors paid to see the bed where he was, supposedly, born. Today, the house also has a fascinating exhibition about Luther and the region where he lived.

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