Luther Monument

A Luther Monument (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.

Luther Monument on the Wittenberg market square

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 initiate. They often connect to events to events in the reformer's life, sometimes a visit in the town. The oldest full-size monument is the Luther Monument in Wittenberg, 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 1968. 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
Luther Monument in Worms, 1900
Luther Monument and the wreckage of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, 1970s
Luther Monument in Elze

Monuments in other continents
Luther Monument in Copenhagen
  • 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]
  • Luther Monument 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 Friedrich Adolf Sötebier[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]

Literature
  • Otto Kammer: Reformationsdenkmäler des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts: Eine Bestandsaufnahme. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2004, ISBN 3-374-02188-3.
  • Christiane Theiselmann: Das Wormser Lutherdenkmal Ernst Rietschels (1856–1868) im Rahmen der Lutherrezeption des 19. Jahrhunderts. Europäische Hochschulschriften, Frankfurt am Main 1992, ISBN 3-631-44332-3.
  • Familienblatt der Lutheriden-Vereinigung, 3. Band, Heft 5, 13. Jahrgang, Februar 1939. Digitalisat (PDF).
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References
  1. Smithsonian American Art Museum: Rietschel, Ernest Friedrich August, 1804–1861, sculptor and Rietschel, Ernest Friedrich August, 1804–1861, sculptor. (copy after)
  2. Statues Hither & Dither: Dresden
  3. Statues Hither & Dither: Eisleben
  4. Statues Hither & Dither: Hamburg
  5. Statues Hither & Dither: Norderney Luther
  6. Statues Hither & Dither: Nürnberg
  7. wfn.org: in memory of 180 years of Lutheranism in Brazil Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, 15 July 2004
  8. Chile: First Luther Monument in Spanish-speaking Latin America, Lutherischer Weltbund, 6 February 2003
  9. Om Lutherkirken Archived 2005-02-06 at the Wayback Machine lutherkirken.dk
  10. Luther Statue on the University of Alberta Campus Map
  11. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  12. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  13. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  14. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  15. Smithsonian American Art Museum: Eintrag im Art Inventories Catalogue
  16. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  17. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  18. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  19. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  20. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  21. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  22. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
  23. Smithsonian American Art Museum: in Art Inventories Catalogue
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