Georgenkirche (St. George's Church), Eisenach
East side of the Georgenkirche in Eisenach. Photo by Robert Scarth.
Exterior and interior of the Georgenkirche. Photos courtesy Tim Rishton.
The west front and Bach's baptismal font. Photos by Robert Scarth.
St. George, outside the Georgenkirche. Photo by Robert Scarth.
St. George's Church (Georgenkirche) is a medieval church in Eisenach connected with both Martin Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach.
History
The present church is a Late Gothic successor of an earlier church, in which Landgrave Ludwig IV married the Hungarian princess now known as St. Elisabeth.
Martin Luther was a choir boy at Georgenkirche and later preached here 1521 on his journey to and from the imperial parliament in Worms.
The church soon became Protestant and adaptations were accordingly made to the building, most notably the addition of tiered galleries.
Bach was baptized at St. George's on March 23, 1685, and several members of the musically-gifted Bach family were organists here.
Today, the Georgenkirche is the cathedral of the Lutheran diocese of Thuringia.
What to See
On the north wall of the church is a large painting commissioned to commemorate the century of the Reformation, depicting Luther, the Bohemian reformer Jan Hus, and the Augsburg Confession.
The walls also bear a number of 14th-century epitaphs commemorating Ludowingian rulers. There is a statue of Bach in the entrance hall.
Outside the church is a 16th-century statue of St. George, the patron of the church, slaying a dragon.
Location Map
Location map and satellite view of the Georgenkirche (St. George's Church). Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Eisenach Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- The Rough Guide to Germany 6 (April 2004).
- Frommer's Germany
