Wartburg is most famous for the place that Martin Luther stayed while he translated the New Testament into Germany. The only way to get to the castle is to endure a rigorous climb up a 180 meter forested slope.
The castle was founded in 1067 AD by Duke Ludwig of Thuringia. The castle once hosted the medieval Minnesinger poets. After Martin Luther returned from the Diet of Worms in 1521 he hid out at the castle pretending to be Knight George. He stayed for ten months during which time he completed his translation of the Bible into German. He said he also “fought the Devil with ink” while he was there. Martin Luther experiences a very dark period of depression during his stay at the castle.
In 1817, the castle was the rallying site of the Burschenschaften. Students protested the continued division of Germany. Adolf Hitler engaged in a battle with the local authorities to take down the cross on the castle and replace it with a swastika. Hitler loved Wartburg and declared it the most German of German castles.
Today the castle is a museum where people can go and take a tour to see the castle and recreations of rooms such as the one Martin Luther stayed in during his stay. One of the highlights of the tour is the 200 carved capitals, a third of which are original masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture. Interestingly enough the only original furnishing that is on display in Martin Luther’s room is the whale vertebrae which lies on the floor. You can also see a hole in the wall located behind the stove, there was once a large stain there which visitors associate with the legend that Luther threw an inkpot at the devil. Souvenir hunters have chipped away the entire wall at the spot. One of the best things during the tour is a climb up the stairs to the South Tower where you have an amazing view over the castle and the Thuringian Forest.
