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Luther's place

Stolberg (Harz)
BIRTHPLACE OF THOMAS MÜNTZER

Birthplace of Thomas Müntzer

Stolberg (Harz)

The theologian and peasant leader Thomas Müntzer was born in the Harz town of Stolberg in 1489. The minting of coins had a long tradition in the town which is made evident by his surname Müntzer which means ‘coiner’ in English. Martin Luther came to Stolberg on 21 April 1525 and preached against the rebelling peasants from the pulpit of St. Martin’s Church. However, without success. On 2 May 1525, the same rebellious peasants managed to force their way into the town in the southern Harz and compelled Count Botho of Stolberg to accept their demands. On a hillside overlooking the city stands the so-called Luther Beech (Lutherbuche) tree memorial. Legend has it that in 1525, on the Friday after Easter, Luther and his friend Wilhelm Reifenstein went on a hike in the mountains near Stolberg. The beech tree marks the spot where the two of them were supposed to have looked down upon the town. It is said that Luther used the occasion to compare Stolberg’s townscape to a bird, describing Stolberg Castle (Schloss Stolberg) as its head, the market square as its rump and the three alleys leading to it as its wings and tail respectively.

Experience Stolberg (Harz)

The spectacular landscape of the Southern Harz region and medieval charm of the town of Stolberg with its half-timbered houses offer plenty of sightseeing options – Stolberg is a lovely destination for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the history of Central Germany. Many prominent individuals who were born in Stolberg or visited, lived or worked here have left their mark on the history of Europe. Thomas Müntzer is one of them.

The parish church in Stolberg still features a glass window containing an image of Martin Luther as well as paintings of both Luther and Melanchthon. On the site of the house where Thomas Müntzer was born – the original burned down in 1851 – in what is now called Thomas-Müntzer-Gasse, stands the Thomas Müntzer House. A commemorative plaque on a modern half-timbered house honours the theologian and former leader of the peasant uprising.

The local history museum, the "Kleines Bürgerhaus", is a typical late Gothic building and exhibits everyday items and other examples of home furnishings to show how people lived from the seventeenth to nineteenth century. Stolberg Castle, originally constructed in the thirteenth century and formerly the residence of the princes and counts of Stolberg, stands above the town on a hill with steep drops on three of its sides. The view that visitors have over the southern Harz range from the Große Auerberg (579m) is one-of-a-kind. Atop its peak stands a wooden observation tower, the so-called Joseph Cross, which was built in neo-Gothic style in the form of a double cross.

Tourist information
of Stolberg (Harz)

Markt 2
06536 Südharz / OT Stolberg

Phone: +49 (0)34654 454
Mail: info@tourismus-suedharz.de

To read on

www.stadt-stolberg.de
www.tourismus-suedharz.de
www.stolberger-museen.de
www.stolberger-schloss.de

Mythos / Legende
Kirche
Sonstiges
Museum
Church

Things to see in Stolberg (Harz)

Museum "Old Mint"

Museum "Old Mint"

The "Alte Münze" ("Old Mint") museum offers both information on the life of Thomas Müntzer and a historic mint that is the only one of its kind to be found in Europe. The production of coins is demonstrated on fully functional historical machines.

opening hours

November to April
daily 10am - 4pm

May to October
daily 10am - 5pm

For live minting dates visit the website

contact information

Museum "Alte Münze"
Niedergasse 17/19
06536 Südharz OT Stolberg (Harz)

Phone: +49 (0)34654 85960

Web: Museum "Old Mint"

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Museum "Old Mint" in Stolberg

Admission

2.00 Euro per person

1.00 Euro for children

Stolberg Castle

Stolberg Castle, originally constructed in the thirteenth-century and formerly the residence of the princes and counts of Stolberg, stands above the town on a hill with steep drops on three of its sides. The view that visitors have over the southern Harz range from the Great Auerberg (579m) is one-of-a-kind. Atop its peak stands a wooden observation tower, the so-called Joseph Cross, which was built in neo-Gothic style in the form of a double cross.

opening hours

November to April
Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 11am - 4pm

May to October
Tuesday to Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 11am - 5pm

Monday closed

contact information

Tourismus Information Stolberg Harz
Niedergasse 17
06536 Südharz / OT Stolberg

Phone: +49 (0)34654 454 and 19433
Mail: info@stadt-stolberg.de

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View of the Stolberg Castle
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Contact information

IMG - Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft
Sachsen-Anhalt mbH
Am Alten Theater 6
39104 Magdeburg

Phone: +49 391/568 99 80
tourismus@img-sachsen-anhalt.de
www.sachsen-anhalt-tourismus.de

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For the interested+49 (0)391 - 568 99 80

Monday to Thursday 9.00 - 17.00,
Friday 9.00 - 16.00