Stand at the Crossroads

stream in Erfurt

Stand at the crossroads and look,

    and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way lies; and walk in it,

    and find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16

The Luther Stone 
where Luther was nearly struck by lightning

Visiting these towns in Germany is a walk through history. Every stop on this Reformation Pilgrimage is filled with stories of conflict and faith. 

Erfurt is one such city. An impressive example of a medieval city, Erfurt boasts half-timbered houses, delightful gardens, and rivers scattered among its charming neighborhoods. 

Erfurt is the spiritual home of Martin Luther. Academically, he pursued a doctorate in philosophy and anticipated a law career. But instead, a violent storm changed the course of his life. He was knocked down by a lightning strike, and in terror, he called out to St. Anne and promised to become a monk. He was ordained at St. Mary's Cathedral and lived in the Protestant Monastery of St. Augustine for 6 years. 

St Mary's and St Severi, Erfurt

Of course, churches are everywhere, each one more imposing than its neighbor. That is, until you arrive at Erfurt Cathedral and its neighbor St. Severi Church. In 742, St. Boniface erected a church on the mound where the Erfurt Cathedral now stands. A flight of 70 stairs brings you to these magnificent churches. 

Old Synagogue, Erfurt

Less impressive but equally important is the Old Synagogue, which dates back to the 11th century. It is the oldest Jewish worship site in Central Europe. After the routing out of Jews during the pogrom of 1349, the building became a storage locker and eventually a dance hall. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the building changed ownership again, and a year later, its Jewish roots were discovered. Now restored as a museum, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

St Maurice

And then there is Coburg. Milad showed me yet another medieval city, Coburg. When the Catholic Church had a standing order to arrest Luther, John, Elector of Saxony, offered him a safe haven at the Coburg Fortress. It was here that Luther worked on his German translation of the Bible. 

But there was not the most interesting thing I learned about this city. The face of an African man adorns the city manholes. Turns out that St. Maurice is the patron of Coburg. This early Christian martyr was born in 250 CE in Thebes, Egypt and became a soldier in the Roman army. Rising to the rank of commander, he assembled a cohort of Christian soldiers when Rome was not particularly sympathetic to Christians. When ordered to indiscriminately kill Christians in the region, he refused. The punishment was that 1/10 of the soldiers under his command were killed. Several rounds of orders and resistance ensued and, eventually, the entire cohort was murdered for their rebellion.