One of the oldest surviving half-timbered houses in Thuringia, the Lutherhaus in Eisenach was the home of Martin Luther between 1498 and 1501 when he lived here as a schoolboy with the Cotta family. It has been a significant Reformation historical site since the 19th century and in 2011 was designated as a European Cultural Heritage Site before being redeveloped and extended for the anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.
Step inside to explore the “Luther and the Bible” multimedia exhibition, which offers a fascinating insight into how Luther translated the Bible and the impact his work had on not only literature and language but also music. Follow in Martin Luther’s footsteps as you wander through the famous “Luther rooms” that date to 1356, then admire the treasures of medieval art on display that include works by Cranach, masterpieces from the Römhilder Textilschatz and a record of Johann Sebastian Bach’s baptism.
The ground floor exhibition looks at the cultural world Luther lived in around 1500 and the religious practices he would have encountered, as well as his schooldays in Eisenach and the development of his Reformation beliefs. The mezzanine exhibit explores the challenges Luther would have faced in translating the Bible and the linguistic diversity of Germany at the time, as well as the experts he collaborated with on the project. The top floor exhibits look at the way Luther’s translation of the Bible shaped German language (even after his death in 1546) and how the Third Reich used Luther’s statements in their Nazi propaganda.