Allstedt Palace opens with a spectacular exhibition on Thomas Müntzer

Allstedt Palace opens with a spectacular exhibition on Thomas Müntzer

An important piece of history awaits visitors on July 13, 2025 at Allstedt Castle, which is finally opening its doors again after three years of renovation work. The new permanent exhibition “Being and Seeming. Thomas Müntzer” will enrich the core castle and focuses on the eventful life of the pastor, theologian and leader in the Peasants' War. During this time, Müntzer held the first German church service and his writings became a part of Reformation history, branded by his dispute with Martin Luther, who referred to him as the “Satan of Allstedt,” as MDR reports.

The exhibition not only offers stages in Müntzer's life, but also a comprehensive insight into the city's history of Allstedt at the time of the Reformation. Museum director Nico Schwerdt emphasizes that the year and a half that Müntzer spent in Allstedt was his most productive phase of his life. His life's work was often shaped by radical views, which distanced him from other reformers, including Luther. While Luther used his writings to spread the faith, Müntzer turned to more radical currents and developed a theology of identification with the suffering Christ, as Leipzig University Archives explains.

An interactive experience

The exhibition impresses with its immersive production that offers image-sound collages and animated graphics from the 16th century. Visitors can view the location of the prince's sermon on July 13, 1524 in the St. John's Church. Müntzer's biography as well as the Reformation and the social struggles in Allstedt are dealt with in thematically structured areas. Original documents and tombstone fragments can also be seen. The challenge of disentangling Müntzer's images from the GDR's reception is critically examined, which means that the exhibition creates both a historical and a current reference.

The offering is complemented by a modern shop and a planned coffee machine, which round off the museum visit experience. An open day will take place on opening day, July 13, 2025. Opening times extend from April to October, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Closed on Mondays in the colder season from November to March and Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The conflict in the Peasants' War

But how did all the tension between Müntzer and Luther come about? During the Peasants' War, Thomas Müntzer joined the rebellious farmers who fought against the authorities and believed that they were acting as God's tools. His call for reform for the common population led to him and the farmers being defeated by the princely army on May 15, 1525 and ultimately being caught and executed on May 27, 1525 in Mühlhausen. A fate that made him a martyr of the social movements of the 19th century, as History Wissen makes clear.

He is often seen as a symbolic figure for the fight against social injustice and remains controversial both in science and in the public today. The exhibition in Allstedt Castle will certainly attract not only historians, but also history buffs who want to learn more about the upheavals and revolutionary ideas of this time. Entrance fees are 6.50 euros, reduced 4.50 euros and for families there is a family ticket for 17 euros.

Allstedt Castle, located at Schlossstraße 8, 06542 Allstedt, is not only a place that breathes history, but from July 13th it will also be a place for active engagement with the past. Anyone who would like to know how profoundly Thomas Müntzer's ideas influenced history should note this date in their calendar.