I was privileged to visit Germany for several weeks this spring for business, and in doing so, I was also presented the amazing opportunity to tour several areas of the country. Long story short, Germany is quickly becoming a favorite country for me. Of course, I say that about almost every country I visit.
Erfurt was a part of my mini-pilgrimage to learn more about Martin Luther from the sites where he lived and worked. In his late teens and early 20s, Martin Luther was a student at Erfurt University. After entering the monastery in Erfurt, he was ordained at the Erfurt Cathedral and, as a Protestant Reformer, preached at the Barefoot Church in 1529.
Speaking of the Barefoot Church, I stayed at the Ibis Hotel right across a narrow street from it. The Ibis was a really nice hotel. Rooms were small, but effective (efficient?) and up to the task. I needed a desk, a chair, a bed, and a shower. I got all those things and a great view of the Barefoot Church. The disadvantages of staying there are the additional cost of parking (15 Euros) and the cost of staying so close to Old Town. My room was close to 200 Euros.
Food and Language
I had been warned by a member of the hotel staff at home base that, the further I went away from the city, the less English would be spoken. I knew that would be true (it had been true at every place I’d visited overseas before), but I didn’t realize how much it would affect me. When traveling through Asia, I know the other person (whether hotel staff, restaurant staff, or a tourist location staff) would know it. I was a white guy in Korea, Taiwan, or Japan.
Germany, however, was a different situation altogether. People expected me to communicate with them in German. I was not prepared for how uncomfortable it would make me feel. I wish I didn’t feel that way, and to combat it in the future, I intend to focus on my German so the next visit doesn’t feel that way.
Having said that, once I found a restaurant that spoke enough English to accept my halted efforts at ordering food, I enjoyed dinner immensely. The Restaurant Schnitzler was really good. Very affordable. The staff was amazing. Made me feel comfortable with communication, had great service, food was amazing (currywurst and fries), and they had a great beer list. Full view of the Domplatz and Erfurt Cathedral, providing ample opportunity to people watch and enjoy a warm evening. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Old Town Erfurt.
It began to rain shortly after dinner, so while walking around Old Town Erfurt, I happened upon Pub Molly Malone. I figured an Irish pub had a good chance of having someone who could speak English, so I gave it a go. Very grateful I did! It was a fun place to grab a few drinks and enjoy a football (soccer) match.
The Barefoot Church and Layered History
On to the walking tour!
The Barefoot Church is very interesting. It’s part of a concept I’ve been thinking about called “Layered History.” Not something many of us Americans have reference for. When our country only goes back several hundred years, it’s difficult to imagine looking at a cathedral that was first built in 1244 by Franciscans, rebuilt with the original stained-glass windows in 1316 and finished in the 1400s. Luther preached there in 1529, after the Reformation was well underway, it was bombed in an allied raid in 1944 and never fully rebuilt, and I, a traveler in 2023, gazed on its beauty from the hotel across the street. I want to delve more into this in the coming weeks and months in terms of religious history, specifically the Reformation up to the modern church, but even considering the secular architecture, it’s a fascinating concept.
The Cathedral of St. Mary and Church of St. Severus.
Since my visit to Erfurt was part of my Martin Luther pilgrimage, I was, of course, drawn to the Erfurt Cathedral (known officially as The Cathedral of St. Mary and Church of St. Severus). On April 3rd, 1507, Luther was ordained a Roman Catholic priest at the cathedral. While not necessarily part of reformation history, it is nevertheless part of Luther’s “making of the man” and therefore important to me.
Honestly, it’s just a gorgeous building, full of rich history and architecture. The plaza where it is located is just as pretty, for different reasons. It’s a must for any trip to Erfurt, whether you’re Roman Catholic or not.
St. Augustine’s Monastery
Martin Luther studied here from summer of 1505 to autumn of 1511 after declaring to St. Anna in a thunderstorm that he’d become a monk if she saved him. Visiting the monastery was important for me because it was part of Luther’s life. I had, admittedly, also hoped for some inspiration on my own behalf while visiting Erfurt, and part of that would have come from the monastery. Still, the overall focus was to see where Luther had lived, prayed, and worked.
Krämerbrücke
So the Krämerbrücke is an interesting site to visit. I didn’t spend a great deal of time there, mostly because my focus was on sites pertaining to Martin Luther, but I did visit. It’s a bunch of shops along a walking bridge. The claim to fame is that it’s the largest of its kind north of the Alps. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in my travels. Again, while I wasn’t there for things like Krämerbrücke, I was glad I visited.
Anyone wanting to see some of Germany’s history should put Erfurt on the list. The Old Town area is lovely. Great sites to see, food to eat, people to watch, and history to learn and experience. Let me know in the comments if you’ve been there, or if you intend to go there!
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