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GERMANY | Anhalt-Wittenberg, Germany Travel Guide
Friday, April 26, 2024
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The Marktplatz Area of Wittenberg
The Marktplatz Area of Wittenberg
Like most similar towns, the Marktplatz (Market Square) is still the heart of the town. Most festivals are centered here and many restaurants are on the square or in the immediate vicinity. On the square is a Luther statue (1821) and one of Melanchthon (1865). The large Renaissance Rathaus (Town Hall) was completed in 1535. Opposite is the birthplace of Lucas Cranach the Younger, Markt 6. Lucas Cranach the Elder lived and worked here from 1505 to 1547. The house was severely damaged by bombardments during the Seven Years’ War. It was repaired and the Baroque façade added in 1760.
Clearly visible from the Marktplatz but accessible from here only through a narrow alley is the Stadtkirche St Marien (Town Church of St Mary), on Kirchplatz. It is the oldest building in town and has a famous Cranach Reformation altarpiece. Most of this Gothic church dates from the early 1400s, but parts of the towers are from the 13th century. The adjacent chapel is from 1370.
The Cranach Höfe (Cranach Courtyards), Schlosstraße 1, dates from 1506 and has around 100 rooms in which Cranach the Elder lived and worked up to 1550. Major work in recent years restored the building to what it used to be like in Cranach’s time. It is used as a museum, with a historic printing press and gallery.
Furniture and other consumer items from the former German Democratic Republic are currently in vogue in Germany. The Haus der Geschichte (House of History), Schlossstraße 6, is a small museum dedicated to life in the former GDR. The focus is on everyday life and the articles that were used by ordinary people. Living rooms of every decade from the 1940s to 1970s show how fashion changed even in the Communist era. It also has kitchens, bathrooms, and toys from various eras. On the ground floor is an exhibition of bulky radios and televisions, some with modifications to receive western broadcasts. Information displays are very limited as the explanations are done live, in German only, by local residents.
Last updated November 4, 2011
Posted in Germany | Anhalt-Wittenberg
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