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Events Calendar
Sunday 02 July | 5 p.m. | Castle Church Wittenberg
Staged liturgical performance in cooperation with the Wittenberg Center for Worship and Sermon Culture
The Castle Church Community, together with the Center for Worship and Sermon Culture Wittenberg, invite you to the scenic-liturgical performance of the St. Mark Passion for choir, organ and soloists by Jan Bender (1909-1994) on Sunday, July 2nd at 5 p.m., in the Castle Church. In the approximately one-hour work, the biblical text of the Passion story according to Mark is reproduced. The soloists take on specific roles such as the evangelist (tenor: Christoph Burmester), Jesus (baritone: Maik Gruchenberg) or the high priest (baritone: Markus Schicketanz). The choir gives its voice to "the people" in partly sensitive or also excited choral movements.
As part of the scenic-liturgical arrangement, the choir and soloists do not act in one place as in a concert, but also scenically in the room. At the upcoming performance, visitors are also invited to become part of the scenic setup and to sing along to selected songs with the accompaniment of the choir and the large organ.
The church musician and composer Jan Bender worked for a long time in the USA, including in Wittenberg's sister city of Springfield, Ohio, at Wittenberg University. Bender's music is characterized as harmoniously modern, expressive close to the text, but not too emotional.
The performers are the Schola Cantorum Adam Rener with soloists. Thomas Herzer and Christoph Hagemann play the two organs in the Castle Church. Dietrich Sagert, consultant at the Center for Worship and Preaching Culture, is responsible for the scenic and liturgical implementation. The overall musical direction is in the hands of the castle church cantor Sarah Herzer.
Admission is free, but a donation is requested at the exit.
Christmas Eve Collection for "Bread for the World" Dear Congregations – our festive table is laden with food – but we also want to make a statement and share our Christmas joy with others. Share your Christmas joy with people in Kenya! The Christmas Eve collection is designated for a project of Bread for the World's partner, the Anglican Church in Kenya. With your offering, you will help to secure food supplies in a region of Kenya. Here, people are learning how to cultivate fruit and vegetable gardens, raise animals, and irrigate with rainwater. Let's use the collection to enable the sharing of knowledge, because the project focuses on knowledge rather than gifts. Please help make God's creation a world without hunger. Thank you for your gift! Photo: Jörg Böthling/Bread for the World
Martin Luther's Grave
When Luther died in Eisleben in 1546, Elector John Frederick of Saxony (reigned 1532-1547) ordered that his body be transferred to Wittenberg and buried in the Castle Church. The grave is located near the pulpit, about 2 meters deep in the ground. The Latin inscription reads: "Here lies the body of Martin Luther, Doctor of Sacred Theology. He died in the year of Christ 1546 on February 18th in his hometown of Eisleben at the age of 63 years, 2 months, and 10 days."
Introduction to Philipp Spielmann
I look forward to exploring the beautiful surroundings of Wittenberg by bike, to beautiful church services, musical highlights, old and new songs, and to meeting you!
History
Around 1340, the Ascanian dukes had an "All Saints' Chapel" built at their castle and founded a collegiate monastery in it for liturgical service. Elector Friedrich the Wise had the palace with the chapel demolished and his new residential palace with a more spacious palace church built on the site. You can find out more about the story here.
Church for children
Every Sunday there is a children's service in the Wittenberg Castle Church, parallel to the adult service. Ms. Felicia Grauel is one of the volunteers for the children's service.