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Wednesday | December 31, 2025 | 9:00 PM | Castle Church
New Year's Eve Concert by the Dresden Bach Soloists
With Christmas organ music and reflections on the turn of the year
December 31, 2025, 9:00 p.m.
Castle Church, Lutherstadt Wittenberg
The Dresden Bach Soloists present their program
"In the Italian Style – Works by J. S. Bach and his contemporaries".
The "Dresden Bach Soloists" were founded in 2014 by Joachim K. Schäfer. The ensemble, consisting of leading instrumentalists, is dedicated to preserving the works of the golden age of European musical culture of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The program for the New Year's Eve concert includes:
Johann Sebastian Bach, Concerto in F major after BWV 1046
Aria/Duet BWV 78,2 “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten” (We hasten with weak, yet diligent steps)
Concerto in F major BWV 971 “In the Italian Style”
Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto in G minor RV 107
Christmas organ music will also be performed on the historic Ladegast organ by Castle Church organist KMD Ulrich Hirtzbruch. Pastor Birgit Neumann-Becker, director of the Evangelical Preachers' Seminary in Wittenberg, will offer spiritual reflections on the turn of the year.
Tickets available at: Tourist Information, Schlossplatz 2, 06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Mon-Sun 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Online: → Link zu reservix
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.