"I work where Luther lived and laughed"

Katja Köhler likes to slip into the role of Katharina von Bora, Martin Luther's wife, while giving guided tours of Wittenberg. She also knows the authentic Luther sites in the city well and is team leader for cultural education at the Luther Museums in Wittenberg. In this interview, she talks about her work and gives lots of insider tips for the city.

Please introduce yourself:
I'm Katja Köhler and I live in Wittenberg. My whole life revolves around Luther. I work as team leader for cultural education at the Luther House and the Luther Museums. Around 10,000 schoolchildren visit us every year to learn about the history of the Reformation. In addition to my work at the museum, I have been a freelance city guide for 20 years and often slip into the role of Luther's wife Katharina von Bora. It's very varied and still great after all these years.

Why Wittenberg in particular? Was there something or someone there who paved the way for the great thinkers?
Probably the most important trailblazer was Elector Frederick the Wise. He founded the university in 1502 and invited promising students and scholars. He was very open-minded and encouraged a lot. This allowed new and even rebellious ideas to flourish and prosper here. Many interesting scholars came to Wittenberg at that time - humanists, theologians, artists, musicians. At the beginning, the university only had 50 students. 30 years later, there were already 2,500, which was a lot for a town of 2,000 souls. The university was known throughout Europe, almost all the bishops from Scandinavia studied here, Wittenberg was the elite hotbed of Europe.
This concentration of knowledge made it possible for Luther to surround himself with many inspiring people. Because everything he achieved was teamwork, so to speak. People inspired and supported each other. Philipp Melanchthon was one of them. He was an important man in the background who helped Luther with the translation, for example. He was much more eloquent than Luther, a polymath. And Katharina, his wife, also played an important role.
And the Elector did even more: He ensured that Martin Luther survived. Luther's ideas were more than rebellious at the time. Without the Elector's protection, Luther would probably have been burned as a heretic. That would have been the end of Wittenberg, Luther and the Reformation. 
People are no longer aware of much of this today. With our cultural education work, we can break this down. We talk about it in our guided tours and educational programs. And we have even developed an escape room, "Crime Scene 1522". The theme is the theft of the Bible, and the pupils and groups have to work together to find out who stole the Bible.

What makes working in the Luther museums special? What do you like about it?
I like the diversity. People of very different ages visit us, from kindergarten children to senior citizens, and we bring the topic closer to everyone in a different way. We explain the story to children in a very tangible way, using everyday moments and things they know. We get young people involved by giving them tasks to solve, such as making a reel or a TikTok on a mini-theme. And senior citizens prefer to listen to stories about life back then. For example, when I tell them that Katharina von Bora was often annoyed when Luther brought too many guests home with him, they nod and laugh because they know that from their everyday lives too.
I have a great team, the five of us develop new concepts, give courses and also guide people through the exhibitions. It's a great collaboration. 
And then of course there are the locations, which exude an incredible energy. As I work in the museums, I'm also here after opening hours. Sometimes, when I walk through the quiet rooms on my own to lock doors, for example, I'm always touched: the furniture, the rooms, it's all just like it was back then. Luther was here, worked, laughed and thought here. I feel a respect and appreciation that often gets lost in the stress of everyday life.

Your favorite place in the Luther museums?
I love the Katharinenportal. It's a huge stone doorframe with two covered seats inside. Katharina gave this to Martin for his birthday. And in a way, she also gave it to herself, because this is where the two of them used to sit and chat. Because there was often hardly any time for it between all the other commitments and big ideas. 
And, what was special back then: She paid for the portal. She got the money through a deal with Luther. He asked her to read the Bible, which he had now translated. But she said she didn't have time for that. So he offered her money and she accepted. It took her a year, and in the end he gave her the money and she bought the portal. 
I love telling this story because it describes their everyday life. It's so easy to imagine the two of them sitting here and talking briefly about children, the house, food and so on. This makes Luther much more approachable, because in the end he was a great reformer, but also a father, husband and human being.
The guests are even allowed to sit on the chairs and take photos. The frame looks great, no matter who is sitting there.

What else should you definitely not miss in Wittenberg?
You have to stand in front of the Thesis door at least once, and Luther's grave in the castle church is also worth seeing.
The Castle Church, the City Church, the Cranach houses and the market are all exciting places. Everything still looks as it did in Luther's time, as Wittenberg was fortunately never destroyed. These same walls of the City Church heard Luther's words and songs - imagine that.
The Asisi panorama is also absolutely worth seeing. The huge hidden object picture takes you on a detour into history.

All that sightseeing and experiencing makes you hungry. Do you have a tip for us?
I have several. I love going to the Culinela soup bar. They serve soups and small snacks that taste good, are served quickly and are not too expensive. The food there is even organic - many locals eat there. If you fancy a cocktail in the evening, I recommend the Charles Bar. It is run by the multi-award-winning German cocktail master Martin Kramer, who also developed the Wittenberg gin.

What do you associate with the figure of Katharina von Bora?
Katharina von Bora was an incredible woman: She was hard-working, clever and patient and you can learn an incredible amount from her. We can imagine Luther's family home as a kind of student dormitory. Every day, 15 to 20 people would gather around the table to be fed. These included the family's children, of course, but also students. In the past, it was quite common for them to live with their professors. In addition, the family often took in orphans, so there was plenty for the lady of the house to do.
Luther was very generous. He gave his money very freely to anyone who needed it. Katharina earned extra money in the background. She bought property - fish ponds and orchards - and thus had an additional source of income. For a while, Katharina earned almost as much as Luther as a professor. That was unusual for the time.
Every time I play Katharina on a guided tour of the city, I am impressed anew. Life wasn't easy back then, but she had Luther's back.

How did you come to play Katharina von Bora? And how can we imagine such a tour?
In Wittenberg, we organize the big city festival "Luther's Wedding" every year. There are two parades, one for children and one for adults, in which Martin and Katharina walk along with their wedding guests. I really wanted to take part and that's how I got involved. I did a city guide course and then developed an event tour with my colleagues. People really like booking this type of tour because it's in costume and interactive. It's great fun for the guests and for us.
If you want to come along, you can walk past all the important sights with me. What Luther saw and experienced, Katharina von Bora saw in equal measure, of course. As the city is so well preserved, the tour is like a walk through history.

How do you explain to children what was going on in Wittenberg in Luther's time?
The concept of the past is not so easy to understand, so I try to explain a lot of things to them using everyday examples. And it also helps to involve them directly. That's why children are always given a role on my guided tours. One person is Luther, another is Katharina and so on. I ask them "What would Luther say in this situation?" This helps them to understand and they are very proud when they solve tasks or get to play a brave role.

Do you have another experience tip for us?
I would highly recommend a visit to the Elbe. The river is only ten minutes away by bike (you can hire bikes in the city) and has small sandy beaches and bathing bays.