Lutherdenkmal Magdeburg

The Luther monument stands in Magdeburg’s old town beside the Johanniskirche. It is a neogothic bronze statue of Martin Luther, over life-size, placed on an eight-sided granite and syenite pedestal. The figure shows Luther in flowing robes, left hand over his heart and right hand holding a Bible, gazing into the distance. The statue was designed by Emil Hundrieser and cast in Berlin in 1886. Its inscription reads ‘God’s word with us for ever’, and the back of the pedestal bears the date 10 November 1883, marking the 400th anniversary of Luther’s birth. The unveiling took place three years later on the same date. During the DDR period the monument was moved a few metres north and given a new base with the words ‘Doctor Martin Luther 1524’. After reunification the original pedestal was restored and the statue kept in its slightly shifted position. Visitors find the statue set on a three-step granite platform in the Johanniskirchhof. The surrounding churchyard is paved and partly bordered by low iron railings. Behind the monument the church’s west front rises, while the bronze reliefs on the pedestal add detail to the design. The open square offers space to stand back and view the figure against the city backdrop.