Historical view from Eisleben and St.Peter-Paul, St. Andreas und St. Nikolai (from left)

History of the Church of St Peter and Paul

A small portal to the right of the entrance leads to the chapel under the steeple. The day after he was born, i.e. 11.11.1483, the son of the miner Hans Luder and his wife Margarete nee Lindemann from Möhra in Thuringiane was baptised of the name of Martin, after Martin von Tours, whose Saints Day it was.

Nowadays, a late Gothic carved altar (1520) and an attractive Gothic baptismal font with a swivel pedestal can be found in the baptisal chapel. Both exhibits were orginally to be seen in the Church of St Nicholas which had to be abandoned by the parish in the seventies on account of financial reasons.

Alongside the contemporary copies of paintings depicting Martin Luther and his wife, Catherine of Bora, as weil as his parents Hans and Margarete you can also find the first of four epitaph paintings for rich and well-known families of Eisleben.

These paintings were originally to be found in the well niches of the Crown Church in the CAMPO SANTO, the old Eisleben cemetery. They have been here in the Church of St Peter and Paul since 1990. The epitaph paintings are composed of the following motives respectively.

In the foreground you can see the donor and his family, in the middle section the artist combines biblical scenes and stories with events and leading figures of the Reformation and the background always depicts a view over Eisleben dating from the Middle Ages.

The font in which Martin Luther was baptised is to be found in the chancel of the Church of St Peter and Paul. The priest _Bartholmäus Rennebecher baptised him in the day after he was bom. The Latin inscription around the edge of the font tells us the reason for its unusual shape.

"Remains of the font in which the blessed Martin Luther was baptised on 11th November 1483" - thus reads the translation. The font was in private ownership for sorne years and was removed from the church. In 1726 remains were found in the rectors garden near the Church of St Andrew. The missing pedestal was replaced and the stone was retouched.

The late Gothic carved altar belonging to the Church of St Peter and Paul, an Anne altar dating back to approx 1500, depicts a group of figures known as St Anne, Mary and the Child Jesus. Above it, the dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit, can be seen. This depicton is framed on both sides by saints and apostles.

The presence of Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Fransiscan Order, is of particular note. He can be located at the bottom right-hand side of the outer right wing and is depicted as he shows his hand wounds to onlookers.

The familiar scene depicting the birth of Jesus Christ can be seen in the predella. However, there is again something special about it. The shepherds in the background are wearing pitman's clothing and are carrying miners equipment Even Joseph is holding a pitlamp in his hand. It is to be assumed that the person who commissioned the altar was a wealthy pit and colliery owner whose memory has been preserved over the years through the mining symbols.

Many details in the Church of St Peter and Paul are worth rnentioning. Wo invite you to Eisleben to visit this interesting building and its exhibits for yourself.

The last extensive renovation of the interior of the baptismal church took place in 1983 in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luthers birth. During the work the galleries dating from the 19th century were removed. The windows and flooring were relaced and underfloor heating was installed. As a result of this, the church pews were also replaced by chairs. The organ, created in the Rühlmann workshop in Zörbig, was also given an overhaul.

Even so, visitors could not help noticing watermarks on the walls and on the vault above the chancel as a result of damage to the roof of the church. The steeple roof was given new roofing in 1991 and the badly damaged roof covering the north side of the nave was repaired last year. The broken stairs to the steeple have also been restored. However, that was merely a small part of the repair work which is so urgently needed. The south side of the nave and the entire chancel must be reroofed.

The biggest problem for the parish is stabilising the church steeple, The demage there has taken on immense proportions over the years. The bells of the Church of St Peter and Paul are no longer allowed to peal as the steeple is in danger of collapsing. The three bells date back to the time of the Reformation (approx. 1499).

However, the sound of bells ringing out from the church in which Martin Luther was baptised has not been heard for the last three years. Even on 18th February 1996, 450 years after the day on which the Reformer died, they could not ring out.

The St Andrew, St Nicholas and St Peter parish community in the Eisleben old town cannot raise the costs for professional repair work on its own.

Should you ever find yourself in the Luther town of Eisleben, do not miss the opportunity to visit the Church of St Peter and Paul. And maybe you will be able to hear the sound of bells ringing out and to see how with your help the damage to this building could be eradicated.