After Christmas we went to visit my grandma who lives in Eisenach, a town in Thuringia.
Friday morning, we drove and walked uphill to the castle named Wartburg that was founded on the border of the territories of Louis the Springer who founded the castle in 1068.
As the territories were enlarged, the Wartburg became its centre and siege of the Landgraves of Thuringia. It also developed as a centre of political, social and cultural life. In 1207, the Minstrel's Contest (Sängerkrieg) took place there and famous minstrels like Walter von der Vogelweide und Wolfram von Eschenbach competed against each other. In the 19th century, Richard Wagner used this event for his opera Tannhäuser.
Another famous person is St. Elisabeth of Hungary who lived there from 1211 to 1228. When she arrived, she was 4 years old and was raised to marry Ludwig IV of Thuringia. At the age of 14, the marriage took place and in the following years she gave birth to three children. After her husband died in the crusade, she left to live in Marburg. Elisabeth was known for her kindness and charitable work. She founded a lot of hospitals and always took care of the poor. It is said that over 100 wonders took place around her and within four years after her death she was proclaimed saint by the Pope.
After the mid 15th century the importance of the Wartburg declined which made it a perfect hiding place for Martin Luther. In 1517, Martin Luther criticized the Roman Catholic Church with 95 thesis that he hang on the castle church of Wittenberg. Later he was declared outlaw. Frederick the Wise - Elector of Saxony - was a supporter of him and offered him the safety of the castle. Martin Luther used his 10 months there to translate the Bible into German and by this unifying the German people with a common language and liberating it from Latin spoken masses.
The next event of historic importance was the first Wartburg Festival in 1817. More than 450 students of newly founded fraternities celebrated the victory over Napoleon in 1813. They also wanted to end conservatism and to have a united Germany as there were about three hundred scattered states at that time. The colors of the German flag were used there derived from the uniform of the Lützow Free Corps - black from the uniform, red from facings and gold from buttons - who fought against Napoleon in the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig.
Today, the Wartburg is UNESCO World Heritage Site that receives visitors from all over the world.
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