Wittenberg celebrates Luther's wedding: parade and historical highlights!

Wittenberg celebrates Luther's wedding: parade and historical highlights!

On June 15, 2025, the streets of Wittenberg will be festively decorated as the city celebrates the 500th anniversary of the wedding of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora. On this special weekend, the organizers are expecting tens of thousands of visitors who can look forward to a colorful city festival called “Luther’s Wedding”. With historical parades and over 2,000 participants in former costumes, the atmosphere is characterized by a positive mood. Sandra Wilking, the managing director of city marketing, also describes this lively atmosphere quite aptly.

The launch took place on Friday, June 13, 2025, with an initial ceremony. The celebration began at 4 p.m., followed by an appearance by the wedding couple on the market square at 5 p.m. Organ sounds were to provide the appropriate setting at 6:00 p.m. in the town church of St. Marien, while the band Rebell Tell entertained festival visitors from 10:00 p.m.

Historical reviews and security

Wittenberg is thoroughly influenced by the Reformation. The old town, divided into three sections, is home to important sites such as the famous castle church, to whose doors Luther nailed the 95 theses. It is just one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites that can be found here, as well as the Luther House and the St. Marien City Church. A parade with a historical flair, starting on June 14th at 2 p.m., will take visitors on a journey through time. The highlight of the festival will be a 500-meter-long wedding table, which will ensure social gatherings from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

But the focus is not only on joy and celebration; Safety also plays an important role. Increased security precautions in the old town - including additional concrete barriers and entry gates - ensure that festival visitors have a good feeling. A driving ban in the entire city center also applies to residents.

Program and highlights

The entire program offers a colorful spectrum for the whole family. On Sunday, June 15th, there will be a spiritual beginning with services in the castle church and the city church at 10:00 a.m. Throughout the day, couples are blessed in the Corpus Christi Chapel and a family program provides entertainment. At 10:30 a.m. the wedding cake will be cut by the children's Lutheran couple, followed by a historic children's festival parade with around 400 children at 11:00 a.m. The crowning conclusion of the festival is a Roland Kaiser tribute show at 3:00 p.m. on the market square.

A particularly emotional moment will be the exhibition of Katharina's wedding ring, which is provided by the Leipzig City Museum. The wedding ring shows a respectful, unusual design with the instruments of Christ's torture and will probably attract a lot of attention.

All in all, there is time to marvel, laugh and celebrate in a city that has produced none other than the most important reformers in history. The “Luther Wedding” will certainly be remembered as the festival of the century in Wittenberg!

For more information about the events and the city's history, visit the website MDR, Luther wedding and Wittenberg Center.