Summer Program in Germany
In a country with so many elaborate churches, why do you think religion has lost its importance and does not appeal to people like it used to? Do you think this could happen to America in the future? Why or why not?
In a religion and philosophy class in high school, I heard about a European evolution of religion. Continue reading “Course Assignment #6: Reflections on Wittenberg”
Given the course questions on Wittenberg, there are two that I would like to address. The first: After seeing firsthand the decline in attendance to Church in Wittenberg, what do you think the Church in Wittenberg and, more generally, the church in Europe could do to inspire more followers for Christ? and secondly: In a country with so many elaborate churches, why do you think religion has lost its importance and does not appeal to people like it used to? Do you think this could happen to America in the future? Why or why not? Continue reading “Reflections on Wittenberg”
The most interesting thing about Wittenberg was the church that we went to. It was the church where Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the doors of the church. The service was all in German so we couldn’t understand it that well and the church was insanely hot. It was really cool to see where Luther was buried and to see the same doors where he nailed his thesis.
One of the weirdest parts of Wittenberg was how empty it was. It was a Sunday so a lot of stores were closed, but the streets were almost empty. There weren’t many locals around and it doesn’t seem to be a popular place anymore for tourists.
When the SPIG gang and I first got off the train to see the city of Wittenberg, the first thing I noticed was how quiet the city was. Sure, it was the morning, and yes, Sundays are the day of rest. However, aside from almost getting hit by a bike, the first 20 mins of walking in the streets felt like stumbling upon a ghost town. Continue reading “Checking Out Church in Wittenberg!”
Martin Luther’s church in Wittenberg provided a different experience than the Cologne Cathedral.
On the first Sunday of August, we visited Wittenberg, a town whose fame probably stems from Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses. The town’s style was a mixture of medieval buildings and cobblestone roads. It was really pretty, but rather secluded. I thought it was interesting how small it actually was; I always imagined it to be bigger. What I found most impressing though, was the church design. The church had a second-floor balcony overlooking into where the congregation sat. The railings were decorated with shields each with a different coat of arms. I don’t think any of the other churches had anything like that.
The town is almost a ghost town, because there really is nothing to do there. (I have to say though, the gelato there is probably the best I’ve had of all the German towns we visited. I might be biased because the gelato guy gave me a MEGA-scoop.) Professor Nielsen mentioned that the town was trying to increase tourism because not many people came to visit. In my opinion, it does have a significance in the Reformation, but I don’t think that alone is significant to attract visitors.
