A 500-metre-long wedding table in honour of Martin and Katharina

From 13 to 15 June, Wittenberg, south of Berlin, will be transported back in time to 1525, the year Martin Luther married the nun Katharina von Bora, in what was to become a symbol of the profound changes that the Church underwent in Germany and the rest of Europe.

The so-called Lutherstadt (Luther City) commemorates this wedding every year, but the 500th anniversary in 2025 turns the city into a regional epicentre of ‘jubel’ (cheer).

After a simple and hasty wedding, Martin and Katharine married on 13 June 1525 (he was 41, she was 26). They had six children, of which two died prematurely. The couple lived in Wittenberg, where Luther taught theology and where he published the 95 Theses that sparked the conflict with the papacy in Rome.

 The German city, which currently has 46,000 inhabitants, is also home to the Lutherhaus museum, which displays many aspects of the family’s daily life. Elsewhere, such as the Marktplatz (market square), there are statues commemorating Luther and other reformers, such as Philip Melanchthon.

Tens of thousands are expected this weekend to visit, among other sites, the city’s Gothic town hall and St. Mary’s Church, where Martin and Katharine were married and where he often preached.

“More than 150 market stalls, 30 historical associations, traditional crafts, music, storytelling and a unique festive programme will bring the spirit of the Reformation to life”, explain the organisers.

A parade of actors playing the famous couple, along with 2,000 guests, will tour the city, with music and animals reminiscent of the rural atmosphere of the 16th century.

On another day, 400 children from kindergartens and schools in Wittenberg will have their own parade, starting at the Luther Museum. Other attractions for children include board games, a hand-cranked carousel, a knight's castle and wood carvings.

But in addition to families, the festival is also aimed at history fans, allowing access to the city’s most emblematic sites, which in 2017 celebrated the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation.

“In Coswiger Straße, you can see how blacksmiths shape iron with powerful hammer blows and weavers create artistic fabrics from fine threads”, says the official information. “Glassblowers create filigree works, while sculptors and stonemasons create impressive sculptures from raw materials”.

As a central attraction, the 500-metre wedding guest table will also be set up on the market square this year, where up to 2,000 attendees can sit at once.

The detailed programme of events, however, does not seem to specifically highlight Luther and Katharine’s Christian faith, or the central role that the message of the Bible played in the Reformation. The festival remains mainly secular and cultural in nature.

But some Protestant churches in the city have announced special Sunday services during the weekend, in English, as well as blessing ceremonies for couples.

More information about Luther’s 2025 https://lutherhochzeit.de/wedding anniversary celebrations in Wittenberg here.