Luther Monument Explained

A Luther Monument (German: Lutherdenkmal) is a monument dedicated to the reformer Martin Luther. The oldest one from 1821 is in Wittenberg. The largest one, the Luther Monument in Worms, was unveiled in 1868 as a composition of several statues, designed by Ernst Rietschel. Several monuments in the United States use a copy of Rietschel's main statue, including the Luther Monument in Washington, D.C., from 1884.

History

Monuments for Luther were mainly erected in the second half of the 19th century. In several German towns, the served as memorials for the Reformation which Luther initiated. They often connect to events in the reformer's life, sometimes a visit in the town. The oldest full-size monument is the, which was at the same time the first public full-size monument for a person who was not noble. It was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow and unveiled in 1821.

The largest monument was designed by Ernst Rietschel, and unveiled in Worms in 1868. Several statues with Luther in the centre are arranged in the shape of a castle, reminiscent of Luther's hymn "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" ("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"). It influenced the design of other monuments. The central figure was copied several times, including seven replicas in the United States.^[1]

Monuments in Europe

in Annaberg-Buchholz (1883)
in Aš, Bohemia (1883)
in Bad Schandau (1817)
on the Friedhof der Dorotheenstädtischen und Friedrichswerderschen Gemeinden in Berlin (1909), copy of the Wittenberg monument
at the Marienkirche in Berlin (1895) by and Robert Toberentz
in Bielsko-Biała, Poland (1900) at the Lutherkirche, by
in Coburg (1883) in the Lutherschule, probably after Rietschel
in Cottbus (1911) in front of the Niedersorbisches Gymnasium, by Heinrich Goetschmann
in Dresden (1885) at the Frauenkirche, by Adolf von Donndorf after Rietschel^[2]
in Elze (1883)
in Eisenach (1885) by Adolf von Donndorf
in Eisleben (1883) on the market square, by Rudolf Siemering^[3]
in Erfurt (1889), by Fritz Schaper
in Hamburg (1912) at the Micheliskirche, by Otto Lessing^[4]
in Hanover (1900) at the Marktkirche, by, completed by Ferdinand Hartzer
in Kirchberg (1908) in the Lutherpark, copy after Rietschel
in Magdeburg (1886) in front of the, by
in Möhra (1861) by
on Norderney (1883), by Bernhard Högl^[5]
in Nürnberg at the St. Sebald, with Phillipp Melanchthon^[6]
in Speyer (1903) at the Gedächtniskirche der Protestation, by Hermann Hahn
near Steinbach (Bad Liebenstein) (1857)
in Uelzen (1883) after Rietschel
in Wennigsen (Deister), Lower Saxony (1960), copy of Springfield, Illinois
in Wittenberg (1821) on the market square, by Johann Gottfried Schadow
Luther Monument in Worms (1868), by Ernst Rietschel

Monuments in other continents

in Nova Friburgo, Brazil (2004) by Otavio Teixeira M. Neto^[7]
in Santiago de Chile, Chile (2002) by Serena Piacentini, first Luther Monument in Spanish-speaking Latin America^[8]
in front of the Lutherkirche in Copenhagen, Dänemark (1983) by Rikard Magnussen^[9]
in Keila, Estonia (1862–1949)
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (1987) on the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta, by Danek Mozdzenski^[10]
in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. (1936) by Hans Schuler^[11]
in Clayton, Missouri, U.S. (1904) on the campus of the Concordia Seminary, copy after Rietschel^[12]
Martin Luther at Worms in Decorah, Iowa, U.S. (1911) on the campus of the Luther College, copy after Rietschel^[13]
in Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. (1921) on the campus of the Wartburg Theological Seminary, copy after Rietschel^[14]
in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. (1957) on the campus of the Concordia Theological Seminary, by ^[15]
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. (1947) on the campus of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, by Hans Schuler^[16]
Luther at 38 in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. (1960) in front of the First Lutheran Church, copy after the one in Fort Wayne^[17]
in Mount Clemens, Michigan, U. S. (1930) at the Cadillac Memorial Gardens, copy after Rietschel^[18]
in Seguin, Texas, U.S. (1976) on the campus of the Texas Lutheran College, by Elmer Petersen^[19]
Martin Luther the Teacher, Martin Luther the Musician in Springfield, Ohio, U.S. (1956) on the Campus of the Wittenberg University, by A. Regis Milione^[20]
in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. (1921) on the campus of the Concordia College, copy after Rietschel^[21]
in Austin. Texas. U.S. (2000) on the campus of Concordia University Texas, by Eloiese Krabbenhoft, Professor at Texas State University, San Marcus, Texas. Using measurements and Cranach portraits from the Wittenberg Luther Museum's curator, Martin Treu, Krabbenhoeft employed forensic technology to create a Luther from 1501, the age of an entering freshman at Concordia.
in Streator, Illinois, U.S. (1935) in the Hillcrest Memorial Park, copy after Rietschel^[22]
Luther Monument in Washington, D.C., U.S. (1884), copy after Rietschel^[23]
in New Ulm, Minnesota at Martin Luther College
- in Mequon, Wisconsin at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin at Concordia University Wisconsin

Literature

Otto Kammer: Reformationsdenkmäler des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts: Eine Bestandsaufnahme. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2004, .
Christiane Theiselmann: Das Wormser Lutherdenkmal Ernst Rietschels (1856–1868) im Rahmen der Lutherrezeption des 19. Jahrhunderts. Europäische Hochschulschriften, Frankfurt am Main 1992, .
Familienblatt der Lutheriden-Vereinigung, 3. Band, Heft 5, 13. Jahrgang, Februar 1939. Digitalisat (PDF).

Notes and References

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Rietschel, Ernest Friedrich August, 1804–1861, sculptor and Rietschel, Ernest Friedrich August, 1804–1861, sculptor. (copy after)
http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=desn022 Statues Hither & Dither: Dresden
http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=desa004 Statues Hither & Dither: Eisleben
http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=dehh014 Statues Hither & Dither: Hamburg
http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=dens004 Statues Hither & Dither: Norderney Luther
http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=deby231 Statues Hither & Dither: Nürnberg
wfn.org: in memory of 180 years of Lutheranism in Brazil, 15 July 2004
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/1193.EN.html Chile: First Luther Monument in Spanish-speaking Latin America
http://www.lutherkirken.dk/Om_kirken.html Om Lutherkirken
http://www.campusmap.ualberta.ca/index.cfm?campus=4&feature=225 Luther Statue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Eintrag im Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue