In the Footsteps of Luther and the Reformation in Worms

When Martin Luther stayed in Worms in 1521, he was not allowed to make a public appearance due to his excommunication. All of the buildings where he stayed were destroyed when the French laid waste to the city in 1689. It was only ten days that he stayed in Worms, but those ten days were to change the course of the world. Luther’s appearance and his speech before the Emperor and the representatives of the Holy Roman Empire marked a turning point in German history, making the Reformation a fully-fledged movement that spread like wildfire. For the city, too, Luther’s stay heralded the beginning of the Reformation, which has left its visible traces. This historic event – and with it the city of Worms as a place of remembrance – is brought into focus by the so-called Luther Decade (2008–2017); and the Protestant deanery and the municipality of Worms have taken the opportunity to issue a revised version of the brochure “In the Footsteps of Luther and the Reformation in Worms”. The text of first edition, published by Otto Kammer and Fritz Reuter in the Luther anniversary year 1983 and reprinted 1994 with slight alterations, was updated and expanded by Ulrich Oelschläger. He put Luther’s appearance in the context of the Reformation in southern Germany and added short biographies of the figures shown on the Luther Memorial. The of the revised edition has also been given a considerable facelift. It is printed in color throughout, while old photographs have been replaced by new ones and the holdings of the municipal archives re-explored to uncover additional historic illustrations.