Brethren Heritage Tour
Wednesday evening, July 30 & Thursday morning, July 31
Featuring
Augustinerkloster – Erfurt – Kramerbrucke
(I love writing these German names! It makes me feel bilingual. 
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Augustinerkloster
Augustinian Monastery
I was looking forward to staying at this monastery for two nights, because I had a feeling there would be opportunity for great photos.
Martin Luther took his vows as a monk in the church and lived in the cloister from 1505 to 1511.
Our room was on the second floor – on the right. The room was simple – twin beds, a desk, and private bath – but no TV or AC. There is a conference room to the right of the picnic tables.
The monastery dates back to the 13th Century, when Augustinian monks settled in Erfurt.
After the Reformation, the monastery was secularized (the last monk died in 1556) and was occupied by a grammar school, a library, an orphanage, and a government assembly hall over the next three centuries until the church was restored and reconsecrated in 1851.
In the 20th Century, restoration plans were interrupted by World War II. A British bombing raid destroyed much of the monastery on February 25, 1945, killing 267 people who had taken shelter in the cellars beneath the library. Restoration from the bombing is still ongoing.
Some beautiful scenery on the monastery grounds.
The door where Martin Luther entered this Augustinian monastery.
He was studying to become a lawyer, when on July 2, 1505, a lightening bolt struck near him as he was returning to university after a trip home. He cried out, “Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk!” He viewed his cry for help as a vow he could never break, left law school, sold his books, and entered here on July 17, 1505.
A tour of the church.
This was a small room where the monks met each morning for their daily assignments.
The museum displays Bible verses in the three original languages – Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. (Don’t ask me which is which!)
An early printing press.
An early printed Bible.
A cell where a monk had his own space.
Another cell displays a bed. I read a comment from a brochure that said the monks often slept in the hallway – outside their cell.
The bell that called monks to a designated room or building – depending on the time of day.
Martin Luther
People still come to study in this library – which these people were doing today. There was sound-proof glass between them and us.
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Erfurt
Erfurt is a beautiful town in the center of Germany with many narrow, cobblestone streets.
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Another highlight of Erfurt is Kramerbrucke
Kramerbrucke is a merchant bridge.
The bridge, a stone arched structure built over the Gera River in 1325, has houses and shops on both sides, and is one of the most interesting features of Erfurt.
These “seats” (on the left) outside houses and shops seemed to be popular in old German towns and looked like great places to sit and do people watching.
Walking on Merchant’s Bridge.
As we approached the end of the bridge, we noticed this statue of a monk begging for money. (We learned earlier, that the only time Augustinian monks begged for money, was when they were being punished.)
When Gordon dropped a euro in the basket…
…the statue moved! Gordon knew that would happen.
This live statue was a great attraction. I shook hands with him, but I am not sure anyone got a photo.
There was some beautiful architecture in the town square.
During the Middle Ages, Erfurt residents would place bundles of grain or straw in holes on the façades of their houses to advertise fresh beer for sale. Today, some tavern owners continue the old tradition.
During our walk, we came upon these people who were waiting for the wedding party following a civil wedding. A civil wedding is always held before a church wedding in Germany.
Cerwin pretending the Rolls is his.
The cute flower girl.
Our final visit before lunch on Thursday, was St. Mary’s, an ensemble of two Catholic churches and grand steps leading to Cathedral Square (Domplatz).
The church and cathedral are Erfurt’s most famous landmarks.
