August 17: Erfurt

Maybe you are getting tired of German towns that start with the letter 'E', and maybe all the churches are starting to look the same to you too. If Eisleben (the little town of Luther's birth and death) was Mayberry, then Erfurt was the New York City of the area in medieval times.

The significance of Erfurt in Luther's life?  It's where he went to college before he became a monk, earning a bachelor's and master's degree, and the young college  student from Mansfield must have been impressed by the big city of Erfurt. Erfurt is also where Luther became a monk, and where he served out most of his years as an Augustinian monk.

A 21-year-old Martin Luther had to knock on the gate of this walled monastery of Augustian monks in Erfurt, wait for someone to open the gate to him, and convey to them that he was intending to withdraw from the world and commit to a life of chastity, poverty, and obedience.

The Augustinian monastery inside those walls:

This next picture will serve as a frame of reference for a whole series of pictures to follow.  Their all from the same area.  It's the Holy of Holies for the monastery. There is a proper name for it but I don't know what it is. (Leave a comment?) Anyway it's the place of the main altar. 

This is our tour guide Brigit. She is an Erfurter, not a believer as far as I know. She did a good job. If it looks like she has an intense look on her face, that's because she is one intense lady. By the way, in order for our group to have access to these places, we are required to use the guides in each place that Germany provides, and has prepared for the 500th year celebration. So for example, today we broke into a smaller group of about 50, and Brigit led us around Erfurt for about three hours. 

This place is where Luther took his vow to become a monk, lying completely protrate, face down on the stone floor. It's also the place where Luther performed his first mass in front of the main altar, which was problematic for him because he was terrified to be so close to the presence of Christ. 

The beautiful stained-glass windows behind Brigit date back to Luther's time. 

Lions and parrots

Main altar