Luthers Elternhaus

Current exhibitions

About the museum

A few months after Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, probably in 1484, the Luder family moved to Mansfeld. His father, Hans Luther, worked there as a smelter master in copper-shale mining, bought a house and extended it into a large four-sided farmstead with a garden spread over two plots. Martin grew up here for about 13 years, went to school and developed a lifelong attachment to his “Mansfeldian” homeland.

Only part of the historic estate has survived: an outbuilding that Luther's brother Jacob had built in 1530 has a Renaissance portal in the courtyard bearing the date, while the central section of the main house was demolished in 1805. In 1878 the Mansfeld Luther House Association acquired what remained; later the parish used the house as a memorial site and a deaconess station, and deaconesses lived here into the 1970s.

A pit full of household waste from around 1500, discovered by archaeologists in 2003, gave the first direct glimpse into the daily life of the Luders: pottery, cookware, clothing accessories, coins and even children's toys such as clay marbles. In 2007 the house passed from the parish to the town; between 2011 and 2014 it was thoroughly renovated, extended by a new museum building and reopened in expanded form.

Today the museum is run by the Luther Memorials Foundation of Saxony-Anhalt. The exhibition puts the finds centre stage and tells of Luther's childhood, mining and life in the Mansfeld region.

Highlights

• Authentic setting of Luther's childhood and youth
• Archaeological finds from around 1500, including children's toys
• Historic courtyard with a Renaissance portal from 1530
• Barrier-free new museum building with a lift
• Historical games to borrow in the museum courtyard

Permanent exhibition

• „Ich bin ein Mansfeldisch Kind“ – Martin Luther und Mansfeld – Archaeological finds and the authentic location bring Luther's childhood and the daily life of the Luder family on their four-sided farmstead to life.

Operated by

Stiftung Luthergedenkstätten in Sachsen-Anhalt

Director

Dr. Thomas T. Müller (Vorstand und Direktor der Stiftung)

Admission & discounts

Free admission for certified BVGD tour guides and members of the Friends of the LutherMuseen. Admission is also possible with the KulturPass.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

“Accessibility checked” certificate (Reisen für Alle): barrier-free for people with walking difficulties, partly accessible for wheelchair users. The new museum building and the exhibition are barrier-free, while the listed historic building can only be reached by stairs. The entrance in the new building is at street level on a steep road. Seating in the entrance area and throughout the exhibition, free folding stools. Tactile tour for blind and visually impaired guests available on request. Website in Easy Language.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

According to the foundation, the permanent exhibition is aimed mainly at adults, but there are dedicated offers for children: in the museum courtyard, historical games (e.g. ring toss, ladder golf, marbles) can be borrowed free of charge at the ticket desk; there are also holiday workshops and programmes for nurseries and schools. The “Mansfeld Marbles” set for making your own game is available at the museum.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A 38 (exit Sangerhausen Süd) or the A 36 (exit Aschersleben-Mitte) and via the B 86, B 180 and B 242. The museum is located on a steep road.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

Barrier-free lockers.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit