Looking for Luther in Worms

Worms is a place. The German words for the soil aerating or gut invading minibeasts conjured in the English mind is wurm or Schneckengewinde or Holzwurm. And any Christian who has studied their faith knows who Luther is, one of the great reformers. He prayed for months while whipping himself up and down stairs to try and eradicate or clarify his own enlightenment. He became one of many strong voices that challenged the hypocrisies and heresy that had wormed into the Roman Catholic Church over the centuries.

We stayed at Hotel Huttl which was clean and right at the heart of the city. Our first stop was a huge ice cream store across the road. M had a scoop of snickers ice cream that was smooth but really tasted of that chocolate bar. The sun was dodging clouds and the breeze was cold so we got going with Pr Harker's notes at hand to search for reformation remnants.

Worms' Market square from the breakfast room. Trinity Church (Lutheran)on the right, Town Hall to the left.

The city walls have been here since before 900CE, but some sources say these ones were built around the 4th C.
The Museum is built into the arches further down but was closed on Mondays!  The Luther room in this place has his Bible from 1512 with markings in his hand. Amazing to think that 11 Centuries of people have passed under these stones.

A pedestrian gate - looks a little Hobbitish don't you think.

A WWII memorial to fallen German soldiers.

Martin Luther on the Pedestal surrounded by other Reformers, his forerunners John Wycliff, Peter Waldo, Jan Hus(Burnt at the stake in the 1400s for the same ideas as Luther) and Girolamo Savonarola. There are also figures and medallions representing the cities that supported the reformation.  Very colourful municipal gardens all around.

The scene in front of the reformation statue. Luther giving his testimony in front of Emperor Charles V who ruled over more people than Charlemagne.  The German prince Federick reminded the Emperor of his promise he had made to Luther for safe passage to and from Worms when he bellowed "this devil in a monk's robes'. Prince Federick then arranged Luther's kidnapping and hid him from the authorities. In this time Luther wrote out the New Testament in German - he was 37yrs old.

This plaque on the rebuilt Trinity Church has Luther's response to the demand that he recant his writings and beliefs at the Diet of Worms, he was only in this city for 10 days.  In English they are:
“Unless I am convinced by Scripture or by clear reasoning that I am in error – for popes and councils have often erred and contradicted themselves – I cannot recant, for I am subject to the Scriptures I have quoted; my conscience is captive to the Word of God.  It is unsafe and dangerous to so anything against ones conscience.  Here I stand.  I cannot do otherwise.  So help me God.  Amen.”

A wall mural on the city walk that guides tourists around the sights.

The Jewish synagogue in the Jewish quarter. 

Petal's scary tree photo in the land of Brothers Grimm and Peonies for Aunty H.

Left: Winegrowers fountain - The words say No Drinking water - Looks like the donkey has had to make do with the pressed stuff!  Right: The Art Museum

Left:  Church Tower skyline of Worms  Right:  Many houses showing both French and German style influences.

St Peter's Dom - overshadows the Lutheran church (Spire to the left in the right photo)  THe pink stone is common around the town.

Left: Under the bridge leading out of Worms to Bustardt over the Rhine
Right: Martins Gate at the Worms end of the bridge, First built in 1900, blown to bits in 1945, rebuilt and opened in 1985.

Luther in Brief  
Martin Luther was the son of a copper miner who bought the mine and sent his son to University in Whittenberg to study Law. In a lightening storm he freaked out and promised to give his life to God if only he was saved and so dropped out of Uni and became a Monk. He became so depressed from his over thinking in the simple tasks of Monkdom that his superiors ordered him to go back to Uni where he eventually was awarded a Doctorate of Theology. To teach well he had to study his topic in depth and became certain of God's Grace. He was horrified to see the selling of indulgences on his trip to Rome so people could commit crimes with impunity and buy their relative's freedom from the torture of hell and purgatory(taught in graphic - imaginative detail from Medieval pulpits) regardless of their relationship with God. When he saw fellow Germans back home waving these pieces of paper bought for their justification from his own Archbishop, who was trying to reduce his personal debt, he got really cranky. Luther wrote up his list of 95 protests against papal theology and practices and nailed them to the Castle Church doors in Whittenberg. This was the usual way to share a public notice in the University but the recent invention of the printing press meant that copies were spread throughout Europe.
The Pope excommunicated him and he was summoned to Worms for a Diet - he wasn't overweight - this is the name of a church meeting where theology and theologians are judged. The Diet sent him into exile. Luther eventually married a nun and had 6 kids. He wrote hymns and introduced congregational singing into church services. He translated the Bible from Latin into German so his literate compatriots could read of Salvation for themselves, this is also heralded as a major reason the language survived the dismantling of the Empire. He didn't support a peasant uprising that used his theology to declaim the 'natrual authority' of their unfair masters. When he found he couldn't convert the Jews to his ideas he wrote an emotional essay about 'farting blasphemers' who should have their treasure taken, their synagogues destroyed and homes(where they practice their blaspheming in secret) burnt down too. This was trotted out by the Nazis to legitimise their ethnic cleansing ideals. He died of natural causes at 62 still believing in Justification by Faith.

When a Faith becomes a political power and exists not only to lead people to God but to force obedience to an interpretation and to manage property and wealth - corruption of that Faith and separation from the God whose gift of free choice is the biggest argument for His love and concern for His creation is the sad outcome. Yet so many have died over the years fighting for the form of their religion - a few to preserve the power base but many because of conviction and so we become what Lucifer accused God of being - a monstrous control freak who rules His Universe through fear.

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