When I visited my aunt and uncle in Germany in 2006, they brought me to a castle. Thousands of medieval castles still remain today in Germany, and one of them is the Wartburg Castle in the Eisenach town of the state of Thuringia.
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| Entrance to Wartburg Castle |
Built in 1067, the Wartburg Castle became significant in German history as it became the residence of St. Elizabeth of Hungary who was known for her charitable work and was canonized as saint by the Roman Catholic Church. The fortress also became the hiding place of Martin Luther when he was ex-communicated by the Church. It was in one of the rooms of Wartburg Castle that Luther translated the Latin Bible into German during the earlier part of 1520s. The castle also became a symbol of German struggle for unification during the 19th century.
That visit to Wartburg Castle was also significant for me as it was my first time to see and step into a castle built from the Middle Ages. I was impressed by the drawbridge, towers, spacious courts and rooms, and armor displayed in the museum inside the castle.
We also saw Lutherstube, a room inside the castle where Martin Luther devoted his time in translating the Bible into his native German. I also translate books, though not the Bible, but seeing that room and hearing the tour guide say something about Luther's work of translation made the experience really unusual.
I didn't find my Prince Charming at the Wartburg Castle but I found a lot more historical pieces that enchanted me. The Wartburg Castle was declared in 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and described as an "Outstanding Monument of the Feudal Period in Central Europe".
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| The forest and hill outside of the castle |
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| My aunt and uncle didn't let me leave Thuringia without tasting its specialty Thuringian sausage |
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