Martin Luther

Banners from the Rotunda of Witnesses

Banner Quote:

When you have Him you have all; but you have also lost all when you lose Him. Stay with Christ, although your eyes do not see Him and your reason does not grasp Him.

The figure of Martin Luther refusing to recant before the Diet of Worms presents a moving image of man's personal responsibility to a sovereign God. In his earnest return to Scripture, Luther brought about significant reform in the Church. In the background we see Frederick the Wise who, after the trial, helped Luther to escape to Wartburg Castle. While there, he translated the New Testament into everyday German so that the common man had access to the Bible. Through the portals we can see Luther's study as well as the castle church at Wittenberg where he presented his 95 theses. Reading from left to right, the narrative frieze depicts moments in Luther's life: as a monk, as a professor of theology, as an author, nailing his theses, receiving a Papal Bull, and the burning of the Bull in December of 1520.