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Martin Luther Memorial, Worms , 1903 |
Worms , Germany
Thursday April 16, 1903
Arrived at 6p.m. Hotel Europe near Station- took carriage for a drive to see the town of 40,000. Visited the noted Martin Luther Monument , passed the cathedral and went into the Hall where Martin Luther confronted the papal legatees, where he declined to recant and uttered the memorable sentence “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.” Saw the gate and old Wall through which Luther entered into the city of Worms and then visited the old church - 1600 years and no longer used for worship, but filled with antiquities, old and quaint, then drove about the city and returned to the hotel and enjoyed 8 p.m. supper. This hotel is plain and quite different from others, at which we have been stopping. Had a good nights rest, rose 6 Friday morn, had breakfast and left 8 a.m. Express for Basle , via Strasburg. The train ran through a lovely farming district, in the River of Rhine Valley, but back from the river. The farmhouses are all gathered into Villages of considerable size, assembled around a church.
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Worms City Wall with Gate, 2004
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The Old church is probably the Magnuskirche, originally a Carolingian one-roomed church of the 8th/9th Century. In Luther's time it was a very early evangelical church and thus one of the starting points of the Reformation in Worms after 1521.
The Luther Monument was unveiled in 1868, and is the largest Reformation monument. Designed by Ernst Rietschel, construction was made possible by donations from the whole Lutheran world. It was erected in a new park on the site of the former town moat. Martin Luther is placed in the centre with the pre-Reformers sitting at his feet. On the outer wall are important contemporaries of Luther. Between the wall and the statue of Luther are the names of other towns which also played roles in the Reformation.
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The Martin Luther Memorial Today |
Worms is of great importance for the development of the Reformation: in 1521 Kaiser Karl V called his first Imperial Diet in Worms . On April 16, 1521 , Luther entered Worms . The following day he was summoned before the Kaiser for his criticism of the established church. He requested a recess. On the 18 th , Luther stuck to his convictions and refused to recant his teachings, using the quote cited by Great-Grandfather. The Emperor imposed an Imperial Act on Luther making him an outlaw. He was later imprisoned at Wartburg
for a year, during which time he began his seminal translation of the new Testament into German, and which also became the basis of the English-language King James Version.
Luther was a man of great passion. He once threw an inkwell at the Devil, the mark of which can still be seen on the wall today. His work contains a number of statements that modern readers would recognize, including his well-known admonition that people should literally “Tell the Devil he may kiss my ass.” No public figure today could write or speak publicly the way he did. He was very much a man of his times, a theologian of the middle-ages. He was an earthy man who enjoyed his beer, and was bold and often totally without tact in the blunt truth he vehemently preached.
History was not kind to Worms . It was nearly destroyed twice in its history. In1689, French troops invaded and almost eradicated the city during the Palatine war of Succession; most of the city burned. It came under French rule again during Napoleon's adventures between 1789 and 1816. It was heavily bombed during World War II, as was the other notable Romanesque German city, Cologne .
John Crews, an American soldier from Oklahoma assigned to the 12th Armored Division, 56th Armored Infantry Battalion, Company “C,” described approaching the historic town this way: “On March 27th, 1945 , we reached the Rhine river at Worms , Germany . The bridge was still standing with a fortified tower that had circling windows, perhaps four stories high. The bridge had been wired for explosives by the Germans. The only way for us to cross was to swim or else be killed....We received a lot of fire from the tower sharpshooters and lots of our men were wounded or killed. We brought up tanks afterwards, though, and blew the whole top off the tower! Mission successful!!”
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Cologne , 1945 |
Basle Germany 1.17.03
The farmers go out to their fields to work the land- saw many plowing with cows saw farmers putting Liquid manure on the fields also passed through the Hop growing districts- saw strong fortifications at Strasburg and other places- today was cold, April sort- sunshine& squalls alternating all the way from Basle to Berne. Before reaching Oelshausen, the distant snow-capped mountains were fine- passed some vineyard district. The only one in our compartment in the car was an Italian from Glasgow to Naples .
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“From Car window, going with the River Rhine April 16 1903 ” |
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“From the Bridge at Basle , Switzerland , looking down the River Rhine, April 17, 1903 ” |
Reached Basle 12.50 noon - took rapid drive of 30 mins and saw much of Basle . Took photo of River, etc. Bridge, etc. From Basle the ride by train is beautiful, as is ascends the Alps- two weeks ago it was warm weather here but we arrived in unusually cold weather, the trees in blossom, and much of the ground covered with fresh snow. Seldom snowed so late from Basle to Berne we rode with two elegant Swiss ladies, cultured and refined, one spoke good English and we had a very pleasant ride together. Reached Berne at 4 p.m. Friday.
4/17 Hotel Bellevue, took drive 1 ½ hours, the old part of town with sidewalks and stones. Sender Arcade is quaint, and the new parts are modern and beautiful. This is the seat of the Swiss Government, with fine National Buildings- took several photos.
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“Pretty Swiss Residence in Suburbs of Berne , Switzerland , April 18, 1903 ” |
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“View from Window in our room in Bellevue Hotel, Berne Switzerland , April 18, 1903 ” |
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“View of Bridge and River at Berne , Switzerland April 18, 1903 ” |
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"Another view at Berne , #40” |
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“Street in Berne , Switzerland , showing the stores under arcade, April 18, 1903 ” |
After a good night's rest, arose 8 a.m. , had breakfast and drove around the city to see the American Consul about Copyright laws. Snowed during the night about two inches and the country looked very beautiful- at 1030 a.m. left for Interlachen , Switzerland .
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“View from the window of moving train, when nearing Interlaken , showing the Lake and Mountain April 18 1903 .” |
Grand Hotel Victoria
Interlaken- Switzerland
Saturday April 18, 1903
Had plenty of room in the cars. Used windows on left side of cars to see Mountains on opposite side of the valley, and as we neared the Lake , changed places for finer view of Lake & Mountains. Scenery was grand- took several photos from window of the moving train- We passed through some snow squalls, but had considerable sunshine, until we reached Interlaken at 1 p.m. where it was snowing quite fast, which continued all afternoon and eve- Thomas Cook's & Sons office being closed until 2 p.m. we came to the Interlaken- Victoria Hotel, where we had lunch. Fine room on first floor overlooking the Snow-capped mountain- called back at Cook's at 2 p.m. and received a batch of letters, and at 2.30 cabled home, then spent a couple hours walked about the old parts of the town, old church, looked into the stables, with cows pigs goats horses, etc. Dinner 7 p.m. at this nice hotel. Spent the evening writing post cards and letters & retiring 10.30 p.m. having rec'd no response to our cable.
Sunday April 19- Interlaken
Slept well, arose 8.30 shaved. Breakfast 9.30. Started for church 10.15 but it was over before we reached there as the only morning service is held 9 a.m. No English preaching here, except during July & August- visited Catholic Chapel- no service. At about 11 a.m. the Sun came out, shown brightly after after the snow storm of 3 inches last night- with mountains & valley covered with snow, the view was beautiful- Returned to Hotel 12 noon for lunch- then Dr. S slept and I wrote letters home and post cards to my friends. Jungfrau Mountains , ever crowned with snow.
Took a walk around to see the town, had a good dinner, talked and went to bed 10.30
Monday, April 20, Interlaken Victoria Hotel
Arose 7 a.m. after breakfast went to Thos Cooks took picture of man and dog-cart and the street, and on our way to RR station.
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Dog cart is to the right, only the dog showing. |
When starting for Grindelwald, made purchases of inexpensive Swiss carvings. To the train at 10.50. Among the passengers was a company of 31 pupils of a French schools in Luzerne on lake Geneva- one of the teachers and three of the pupils were in our apartment- we took a snap shot of the party at a station, where we all changed cars- Saw them at Grindelwald, also met them in the eve when returning to Interlaken – 2 girls & only one boy (12 years) were from Milwaukee USA, and spoke to us.
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Students at the train stop |
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At the station we took Guide Hans (John) Kauffman for the journey to the Upper Glacier ( River of Ice ) at 4 Francs (80 cents) 40 cents each- about 4 miles distant. He goes to America each year as a Guide on the Rocky Mountains- spoke good English, and was interesting – the ascent was not difficult, but the walking was bad, and in the ascent to the Grotto the snow was 2 or 3 ft deep.
