ST GEORG CHURCH SCHMALKALDEN
The Luther Room and Medieval Bones
The church located in the center of the late medieval old town of Schmalkalden, just off the main square is one of the most beautiful Late Gothic style churches of Thuringia. Heavily damaged by bombing in WWII, the interior has been rebuilt to the original shape, but has the unique look of reconstruction of the similarly damaged like the St Bartholomew Cathedral in Frankfurt (see Imperial Coronation Church). The towering Gothic ached nave reaches high into an open space with an elegant ripped vault ceiling, with the former red stone, now painted restoration. The present Gothic church was built in 1437 and consecrated by the bishop of Würzburg in 1500 as Catholic, but became one of the first churches of the Reformation. Some parts of the earlier Romanesque church remain, but only one of the original stained glass windows survives.
The Baroque period pulpit was installed in 1669 and a Baptismal font with rich decoration has been restored. Standout features of the church are the two different bell towers and roof steeple with the town clock. One extraordinary sight is not actually in the church. Outside the front doors can be seen some of the early medieval foundations of the town and an exposed burial ossuary of stacked bones, underneath glass in the pavement. But the most significant thing about the St Georg Church of Schmalkalden is its place in the story of Martin Luther.
Now, rather a smallish tourist town, Schmalkalden in the 16th Century was one of the most important cities of its time in Central Germany under the control of Philip of Hesse (The Magnanimous). His secondary palace was located in the city (see Wilhelmsburg Castle) and he was one of the leading forces among the nobility in support of the reforms of Martin Luther. Philip was a co-founder of the Schmalkaldic League, the alliance of the Protestant estates formed for mutual protection against the Catholic Habsburg Emperor Charles V. Philip established the first evangelical priest in 1525, eight years after Luther first nailed his theses to the church doors in Wittenberg (see Wittenberg All Saints Castle Church). In 1537, the noble houses of the league members gathered in Schmalkalden to conclave and agree to the Lutheran Articles.
Lutherstube
Martin Luther preached from the pulpit in St Georg’s to the gathered faithful during his stay in the cold days of February of 1537. He had the use of a small chamber over the sacristy, now known as the Lutherstube (Luther Room), behind a door, up winding stairs, with a small window where he could look out onto the pulpit and gathering worshipers below.
The room today, with a richly floral decorated ceiling vault, holds a small museum of Luther related items including early texts and religious art. There are two portraits of Martin Luther in the church, one a copy of a familiar Lucas Kranach portrait, and a full length painting by an unknown artist. Luther stayed longer in the rooms of a house in the city called the Luther House, with the league dignitaries have to come to him while suffering from passing a kidney stone. It is not currently open to the public but there are plans for it.
Visiting St Georg Church
The St Georg Church open hours are Monday to Saturday 10.30am to 4.30pm from May to October and Monday to Saturday 11 am to Noon and 2 pm to 3 pm from November to April. And Sundays and public holidays after morning service until 12 noon. Admission to the church is free. Public guided tours are offered at 2pm for €1.50. The tours are in German, but you can ask questions in English and get some details. Entrance to the Türmerstube tower room is €1.50. © Bargain
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St Georg
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See Also:
500th ANNIVERSARY MARTIN LUTHER - WARTBURG CASTLE
MARKET CHURCH HALLE - MARTIN LUTHER DEATH MASK
LUTHER STEPS – ST ANNE’S CHURCH AUGSBURG
