Today was field trip day. We were up early (including breakfast) for a 3.5 hour drive from Wittenberg to Wartburg Castle. Yes, that Wartburg Castle. Where Martin Luther was taken after being ‘kidnapped’ for his own protection by Frederick the Wise. Apparently Wartburg Castle was also part of the inspiration for the famous Newschwanstein Castle built by King Ludwig II, but I personally don’t see much resemblance.
So yes, there’s that Lutheran history we all learned. It’s also where Luther translated the entire New Testament into German in about 11-weeks. Not a bad pace, all things considered!
The castle, interestingly enough, has a much more extensive history, though. It dates from the founding of the initial castle in the late 11th century, and has been the anecdotal backdrop for a variety of curious events, including the push for German unification in the 19th century. It had a fabled 800-piece armory that disappeared during Soviet occupation in 1946 and has yet to be found.
We went on a formal tour of the castle with a docent who was delighted and perhaps a bit intimidated to learn she was guiding a group of Lutheran church workers & family. But she did a great job sharing various stories about the castle’s long history.
It was a long day and the young un’s were pretty tuckered out by the end of the 3.5 hour bus ride back. But it was also a wonderful opportunity to see part of our Lutheran heritage, and with a lot of other Lutherans. We even managed to sing the first verse of “A Mighty Fortress” in the castle, which seemed to delight most everyone.
The Nelson Family Indonesia 