Luther Trail: Section 36 – From Altenburg to Kayna

The Luther Trail leads along the old bishop’s route to the historical diocesan town of Zeitz. The pilgrimage church in Tegkwitz is well worth a visit. The first Protestant priest here was Father Bartholomäus Kratzsch, who learnt Luther’s writings early on and converted to Protestantism in 1522. It seems he was one of the first Lutheran priests of the principality and carried out a baptism according to ‘Luther’s Little Baptism Booklet’, on the bridge at Lossen as early as 1525. In 1534, he procured Luther’s German Bible for the church in Tegkwitz.

The little baroque church in Dobraschütz with its all-blue rural paintings on the ceilings, galleries and pews is very impressive.

Kayna is an area of the town of Zeitz that played its part in Reformation history in 1542. Martin Luther ordained Nikolaus von Amsdorf as the first Protestant bishop at the Zeitz Cathedral of St Peter and Paul. In August 1544, Martin Luther came to Zeitz for 10 days to discuss Amsdorf’s difficult position in his role as bishop.

In 1882, Martin Luther’s original 95 Theses were discovered in the vestry of St Michael’s Church. A copy of them is now on display in the church library.

In this cathedral and sovereign town, that is over 1000 years old, traces of Martin Luther’s male descendants can be found; for example, the gravestone of one of his grandsons in the cloister of the cathedral.