The Luther Calendar, Also a Music Gift ... The Youngest, Great Calendar in My Publishing House

There is a Luther Calendar at "Bach 4 You". More precisely? A Martin Luther Calendar. Even more precisely? A Dr. Martin Luther Calendar. And ... why is there now also a Luther Calendar? What does a Bach mission have to do with Luther? Firstly, Martin Luther is a world-famous personality. Just like Bach. The answer would be far-fetched, if one would state that Dr. Martin Luther was also a composer. And if we stretch the term a little further than we are allowed to, then Luther is, was and remains one of the first famous classical composers. You want to the shop, now and fast? Then click here, please.

The Martin Luther Calendar, a perfect gift for your pastor.

A little toy man was "to blame" for the fact that today there is a Luther calendar. A few years ago, when we were still hoping that at some time there might also be a toy manikin of Johann Sebastian Bach, there was already one of Martin Luther: Martin Luther with a pen in his right hand and an open Bible in his left hand. It was "brought to life" in 2017. And this Luther manikin was to have been the figure with the highest circulation of any celebrity in this style. Emitted this Martin Luther in a few centimeters in size, by the way, for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

A historic wooden engraving: This portrait of Martin Luther was created many years ago. Today it is the January page in our Luther calendar, year after year again.

The Martin Luther Monument in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, and in the background, of course, the Frauenkirche (Lady's Church) in new splendor after World War II. It is February in the Luther Calendar.

Later then, exactly two years later, so after the "launch" of the mini-Luther, then happened "for us the miracle": Shortly before the annual Bachwochen gave - completely unexpectedly - then the Thuringian now also. With desk and music book, pen and inkwell. All this on a writing desk. And Mr. Bach stands there with his violin and fiddles.

Johann Sebastian Bach, not Martin Luther. In front of the Bach House in Eisenach. How long have we waited for this toy man. Those were many years.

Martin Luther's arrival at Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany: a wood engraving and today the March motif and March calendar page in our Luther Calendar.

So Bach and Luther, who incidentally had both attended the same school in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, came closer in our Mission. And chance would have it that we found out that Martin Luther also composed. Plus, just that the little toy figure appealed to so many enthusiasts. Although Luther was not really a composer of classical music, but – with a lot of winking – maybe of a preform, that is exactly the composition of "old music" and "old songs". Whether a calendar could also be created from various motifs on the theme of Luther ... that was the question. A clear yes turned out and after many hours of research it was compiled, our Martin Luther Calendar, which is available from the season 2022 / 2023 in the sizes DIN A4, DIN A3 and DIN A2. Check here, what's that in your country.

Martin Luther with his Bible in Wittenberg. What you don't see completely in this photo is the canopy under which he is standing. It was restored for some time, and that's why there are also photos of this Martin Luther monument without the "little house around it". It is the April page in the Luther Calendar.

Two cities in Germany even and quite officially have the name of Martin Luther in their city titles. These are the Lutherstadt Wittenberg (... the Luther City of Wittenberg, Germany), precisely since 1938, and the Lutherstadt Eisleben (... the Luther City of Eisleben, Germany), since 1946, eight years later. Then there is also the district of Mansfeld-Lutherstadt, which commemorates Martin Luther's father with this name, but at that time his name was Hans Luder, Luder with a soft " d ". These three sites have been ennobled worldwide with the title "European Heritage Seal" since 2012. You will find out which cities are still considered Luther cities after the next two calendar pages in the Dr. Martin Luther Calendar.

A second age-old, very well-known picture of Martin Luther is May in the Luther Calendar. It differs from the first one in January? Correct, because of the cap on Luther's head. Enough examples, now you want to order one, better your Luther calendar? You can do that with one click ... here.

June in the Luther calendar. For a change again one of the famous Luther monuments. It stands in the city, which is famous for both personalities. It is the Bach city and Luther city Eisenach in Thuringia, Germany. By the way, they were never so close – but only spiritually – as in this beautiful city. Both attended the same school. So they could have studied in the same classroom, maybe even on the same chair. For a long time they were – again only spiritually – then one more time very close. It was the period when the Bach monument still stood directly in front of the Georgenkirche (St. George Church). On a historical picture you can see the Bach monument which today "resides" at the Frauenplan (... an address, a square in Eisenach) and the sentence which one probably associates most with Martin Luther, that is " Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" (... A Strong Fortress Is Our God ...) together. This sentence can be read above the church entrance.

Two memorial plaques refer to these two outstanding personalities, who both lived for a while in Eisenach in Thuringia, Germany.

The Luther Memorial Plaque on the left side of the door, the Bach Memorial Plaque on the right side of the door.

Here it's the whole school where the two of them learned as kids. Where in Eisenach is it? About right behind the St. George Church, slightly uphill, if you stand on the square in front of the church, the city castle behind you.

Five minutes walk from the city center, and you experience two tourist highlights "in one session". And you get from me another view of the Martin Luther School, if the five minutes walk is too exhausting for you. Of course, I mean that ... not seriously, now.

This is how it looked for many years in the center of Eisenach, Thuringia. Here the memory of both personalities is closer than anywhere else on the planet: The sentence above the church gate reminds us of Martin Luther's time in Eisenach.

Luther is translating the Bible at Wartburg Castle. He "fortranslated" it, as it was called, sort of, some time later in the German language of the time. Plus, translated from me to English. What a no-go. Or am I permitted? July in our Luther Calendar.

This is certainly the most famous picture of Luther, painted in Eisenach in the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder. In our Luther calendar it is therefore the title page and the August page.

Now you will learn about the other 16 Luther cities. They are listed here neither after the alphabet nor after the size of the cities. But perhaps, with my knowledge, after the meaning. First, there is - after the birthplace and death place of Martin Luther, that is in the same city, Eisleben - of course Wittenberg. But both locations you already know ... with your reading of the last paragraph. As a reminder, they carry the term "Luther City" in their official name. In Wittenberg, Luther had the most lasting effect, and he published his 95 Theses, publicly burned papal documents, and he wrote and wrote and wrote. By the way, he did not publish his 95 Theses himself, but acquaintances did.

Then, Erfurt was also Luther city, the monument still indicates this today, but not every city and every municipality with a Luther monument is therefore also Luther city. Luther studied at the university for four years and then worked at the Augustinian Monastery. He also spent two years in Magdeburg, where he attended the Magdeburg Cathedral School.

Worms is probably the most important Luther city, where he did not live for a while. It was here that Martin Luther stood before the Imperial Diet of Worms in 1521.

On June 13, 1525, Martin Luther married the escaped nun Katharina von Bora. Today, 2,000 wedding guests are making a pilgrimage through Luther's city of Wittenberg to celebrate and commemorate this event from 500 years ago.  The procession starts at the Luther House and leads along the Collegienstraße to the market square, where a banquet will take place afterwards. A historical spectacle in a class of its own! Always in summer. Always in June.

For a change in the Luther Calendar, again a Luther monument in one of the two most important Martin Luther cities, in Eisleben. Luther was born in Eisleben, and he also died in Eisleben. In the Luther Calendar, it is October.

The second to last motif in the Luther Calendar. November in the Luther Calendar. The "Kantorei im Hause" is the name of this motif that the painter Gustav Adolf Spangenberg created in 1867. So ... not the work above, but the underlying oil painting.

Now follow the Luther cities where Luther stayed only – comparatively – briefly for one, several or many visits. And these are Augsburg, Coburg, Halle, Heidelberg, Marburg, Schmalkalden and Torgau, all in Germany. Finally, Zeitz is today the city of Luther's descendants – they are called Lutherids – and he had also stopped by there occasionally.

An insertion in the matter of Bach, which occurs to me while writing these sections. That these 16 Luther sites above and below are officially Luther sites reminds me of my definition of the 33 Bach cities and Bach communities, which could be expanded by a few more in 2021. Again, you might ask: To what degree is a town or a community still a Bach community or still a Bach city? I had categorized them at that time and was "generous". Meanwhile, Wikipedia and Luther enthusiasts are also generous. Why? Please read on.

The most impressive and clearly the largest Reformation monument on earth, and for us, it is of course the largest Luther monument in the universe, is located in Worms, Germany. It is an arrangement of ten personalities. Only three of the nine figures around Luther can be seen above in the picture, and thus also on the calendar page. Ernst Rietschel created the overall design and also the statue of Luther and another of the nine. In the Luther Calendar, you already recognized it, it is the 12th Luther motif and thus December.

The following are the Luther cities, which are only indirectly connected with Dr. Martin Luther: Firstly, there is Mansfeld-Lutherstadt, a district of Mansfeld, Germany. Here, Luther is not remembered, but his father, Hans Luder. So it is a Luther city in the sense of the Luther family. Just as I "attribute" Bach towns and Bach villages to the composer or to the family, for example the communities of Wechmar and Gräfenroda in Germany, Janegg in the Czech Republic and Hanfthal and Ungerndorf in Austria. In the last section below, you will learn which are the two Luther cities where Luther has never been.

Actually Bach locations in the Czech Republic and in Austria? And you learn this on a page about Luther and the Luther Calendar of "Bach 4 You"? Yup. For a long time and maybe never, it will become and be common knowledge regarding the Thomas Cantor. But, if you are interested in why they are undoubtedly such Bach locations, you can learn it in great detail. Click yourself to "Bach on Bach". There you will learn the whole story.  For me, for Renate and for a few people in the world the ultimate sensation after 270 years of research: The entry in a historical work of the city of Laa on the Thaya, above Vienna in Austria a few centuries ago. Below the page 2.

The second page regarding Veit Bach, either the Veit Bach who was born in Janegg and moved from Janegg, Czech Republic to Hanfthal and then to Ungerndorf, both Austria, and finally to Wechmar, Germany. Or from the Veit Bach, whose father of the same name did not migrate back with him to the former home of the Bach family.

Back again to Dr. Martin Luther and the Luther cities. So, Luther has never been to Nordhausen, but Nordhausen was the first city to join the Reformation in 1524. Speyer is also recognized as a Luther city, and the reformer had never been there.

Finally, the title of our Martin Luther Calendar again and a very last opportunity to click to the shop, if you believe that could be the perfect Christmas gift or a thank you to your cantor, pastor or music director, music teacher or a loved one.

Renate Bach Publishing "Bach 4 You" – Bildstrasse 25, 74223 Flein / Germany – Phone: +49 7131 576761 – info (at) bach4you.de