Eisleben, Germany
Eisleben is a small city in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, with a population of about 21,000. Since 1946, Eisleben's official name has been Lutherstadt Eisleben ("Luther-City Eisleben"), in honor of its close association with the great reformer Martin Luther. Eisleben's Luther sites were granted joint World Heritage status with those in Lutherstadt Wittenberg in 1996.
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben in 1483 and also died here in 1546. He spent most of the intervening years elsewhere, in cities like Erfurt and Wittenberg, but Eisleben always remained a place for which Luther retained a special affection. It is thus quite poetic that he happened to visiting his hometown on family business when he died.
The city of Eisleben was a pioneer of heritage tourism long before the idea was invented, and Luther's birth house and death house are well-preserved museums as a result. Beyond its Luther connections, Eisleben preserves a sizeable Aldstadt (Old Town), which dates to the 10th century, plus suburbs founded in the 12th century and an early 16th-century "New Town." All are dotted with historic churches, some of which were visited by Luther.