Where Luther Walked, #3: Erfurt

Otherwise known as Luther's "spiritual home," Erfurt was where Martin Luther studied, became a monk, and was later ordained.

The story is told that, in July 1505, Luther got caught in a terrible thunderstorm in one of Stotternheim's fields (district of Erfurt); afraid for his life, Luther cried into the wind, "St. Anna, help me! I will become a monk." True to his word, within two weeks, Luther marched right to the Augustinian Monastery and became a monk!

Today, Stotternheim's Luther Stone marks the spot of this historical event, without which Luther may never have become the reformer who changed the world.

The monastery itself was also influenced by Luther's Reformation, becoming home to the Lutheran parish of St. John's in 1525.