Eisleben Attractions
Eisleben, lying some 35km/22mi west of Halle in the south of the eastern Harz foreland, is an old-established copper-mining town best known as the place where Martin Luther (1483-1546) was born and died.
Market Church
The Marktkirche (dedicated to St Andrew) is a 15th C hall-church with a richly furnished interior (sarcophagi of Counts of Mansfeld, Luther's pulpit). The tower, built on to the church, houses the fine church library (manuscripts and printed editions of Luther's Bible; Eike von Repgow's "Sachsenspiegel", etc.).
Martin Luther's Birthplace
Luther's birthplace in Eisleben has a display of documents illustrating his life and work.
Martin Luther's Birthplace was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, along with the Memorial Museum in Wittenberg.
Martin Luther's Birthplace was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, along with the Memorial Museum in Wittenberg.
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Churches
Some interesting churches in Eisleben are the Nikolaikirche (St Nicholas's; 15th C.), the Annenkirche (St Anne's; 16th-17th C.) and the parish church of SS. Peter and Paul (15th-16th C.), in which Luther was baptized, with the Late Gothic St Anne's Altar (c. 1500).
Eisenleben - Museums
In Vikariatsgasse is the Heimatmuseum (history of the town and of mining) and adjoining the Natural History Museum (Naturkundemuseum; geology, economy, flora and fauna of the Eisleben area).
Mansfeld, Germany
(Near Eisleben)
The Schloss in Mansfeld (15km/9mi northwest of Eisleben), the ancestral seat of the Counts of Mansfeld, is now a church home. The complex includes two Renaissance mansions, a 15th C church with a winged altarpiece from the Cranach workshop (1520) and extensive fortifications.
Stadtschlösser
The old town houses in Eisleben of the Counts of Mansfeld (15th-17th C.), in the Markt, are now partly occupied by local government offices.
Sterbehaus Luthers
A few paces from the Eisleben Markt, at Andreaskirchplatz 7, is the house in which Luther died, now a memorial museum.
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Guides
Guided tour available as optional extra.
Town Hall
On the west side of the Eisleben Markt, which is notable for the uniformity of its architecture, stands the Late Gothic Town Hall (1509-30), on the north side of which is a double external staircase. In front of the Town Hall can be seen a Luther Monument (by R. Siemering, 1882).
Wiederstedt
In Oberwiederstedt (15km/9mi north of Eisleben) can be seen the house in which the poet and novelist Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg, 1772-1801) was born. This Renaissance Schloss with a staircase tower (c. 1551) has recently been restored and is now a cultural center, with a Novalis Museum.
