Step back in time to 1517 and enjoy a day of medieval attractions and entertainment in Wittenberg, as the town celebrates Reformation Day.
Reformation Fair in Wittenberg
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther published his theses on the sale of indulgences in the Catholic church. According to tradition, he nailed them up on the door of the (Castle Church) Schlosskirche in Wittenberg. This was the spark for the Reformation that eventually led to the founding of protestant churches across Europe, and placed Wittenberg at the heart of the movement, earning it the official name of Lutherstadt Wittenberg.
To celebrate this important moment in German history, Wittenberg holds the Reformation Fair (Reformationsfest) every year on October 31.
What's on at the Reformation Fair
A celebratory service and concert are held in the Castle Church and the Town Church, various guided tours are on offer from the Wittenberg Tourist Information, and the biggest highlight of the day is the historical market spectacle that takes place on the squares and courtyards in the old town.
Craft workers will demonstrate their medieval arts on the market square in front of the Renaissance town hall and music from the middle ages will not only invite you to dance, but also to visit the taverns. Comedians and jugglers bring the historical streets to life and opposite the Wittenberg market square you will find the Cranach Farm, where honey, ceramics, soaps and wine are sold.
Coswigerstraße and Schlossstraße, the main routes to the Castle Church, become important trading hubs during the fair, on which travellers and charlatans try to sell their wares. When you arrive at the Castle Church, you will find yourself in front of the world-famous Theses Door, which has remained a symbol of the Reformation festival to this day. In front of the Theses Door, you will find another extraordinary medieval market, selling warm mead, fresh baked goods, wooden toys and much more.
Many medieval clubs and societies from the region gather at the foot of Castle Church and use the castle meadow as their camp site for the day. Explore a world of jugglers, musicians and charlatans and let yourself be enchanted by the extraordinary mixture of magic and music.
Celebratory concert and service
At 5pm at the Castle Church, you can come along for some updated medieval tunes. The jazz trio Bending Times, led by trained church musician Christian Grosch, has put together a program with jazzed-up compositions and improvisations based on 500-year-old chorales. This way, the lyrics of the Reformation are brought into the present.
The City Church holds a festive church service at 11am, and then at 6.30pm, the Wittenberg choir will bring Handel's Messiah to life.
The concert in the Castle Church and service are free to enter, but tickets are required for Handel's Messiah.
Attending the Reformation Fair at Wittenberg
Wittenberg is well connected to other German cities by public transport. There are direct trains from Berlin and Leipzig that take about 45 minutes, so this can make for an easy and enjoyable day trip for the whole family.