The Luther Stone Erfurt

Turning point of the Reformation

The Luther Stone stands to the east of Stotternheim. On 2 July 1505 Martin Luther - then a law student at Erfurt University - was returning to Erfurt after visiting his parents in Mansfeld. He was making the journey on foot, as students did in those days, and as he approached Stotternheim he was caught up in a terrible thunderstorm that put him in fear of his life.

He is said to have cried out: "Help, St. Anne, I will become a monk." The site where the memorial stone now stands is sometimes described as the birthplace of the Reformation.

15 days of the thunderstorm, on 17 July 1505, Martin Luther entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt; he took his monk's vows in 1506 and was ordained as a priest in 1507.

In 1917 an Erfurt resident donated a memorial stone of Swedish granite, which was erected where historical sources suggest Luther invoked St. Anne's help.

For many years the Luther Stone has been an important place of pilgrimage for visitors retracing Luther's footsteps in and around Erfurt. The site has been redesigned with open green space, benches and a shelter. Parking is available for cars and coaches.

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