Andreaskirche, Eisleben
West facade. Photo by Stephan Komp.
Busts of Luther and Melanchthon (1817). Photo © photomaven.
Photo © photomaven.
The Late Gothic altarpiece. Photo © photomaven.
The Heidelberg Disputation. Photo © photomaven.
Just above the Markt in Eisleben's old town is the towering Andreaskirche (St. Andreas Church, sometimes called St. Andrew's), where Martin Luther preached his last four sermons in 1546.
History
Luther was in Eisleben on family business in 1546 when he fell ill. While in town — and even while sick — he preached at Andreaskirche what would be his last four sermons.
Luther's last sermon was on Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all of you who weary, and I will give you rest:" He finished with the words: "I am able to say many more things about this text, but I feel very weak and sick today. I hope I can do it later." But the following Thursday he died.
What to See
On the outside, Andreaskirche is a stern-looking Gothic hall church with two octagonal towers on one end and a massive single tower at the other.
Inside, the main attraction is the very pulpit from which Luther preached. Dating fromthe early 16th century, the pulpit used to be draped with a fine work of embroidery (now displayed in a glass case on the south wall).
In 1817, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Reformation, busts of Luther and Melanchthon were commissioned from the great Berlin sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow, who used portraits painted from life by Lucas Cranach as his models.
Although relatively small, the altarpiece on the high altar is a distinguished example of late Gothic art. Its reverse side was delicately painted in a Nürnberg workshop.
Andreaskirche was the mausoleum of the House of Mansfeld and as such contains several notable aristocratic funerary monuments. The most impressive is that of Count Hoyer VI in the north apse, carved in full Renaissance splendor by Hans Schlegel of Halle.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Andreaskirche; St. Andreas Church |
| Architecture: | Late Gothic |
| Location: | Near the Luther Geburtshaus, Eisleben, Germany |
| Hours: | Mon-Fri 10-12, 2-4; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-1. |
| Cost: | Free |
Location Map
Location map and satellite view of the Andreaskirche. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- The Rough Guide to Germany 6.
- St. Andreas Kirche - Homepage of St. Andreas, St. Nicolai, St. Petri
