Gothic Dom in Cologne
Dr. Jason Van Vliet and I cohosted a tour group of forty people through the Netherlands and Germany. Here is the third part of my summary of our trip.
On Wednesday, July 17, a short drive to the south brought us to Cologne, the majestic capital of the Rhineland. In Cologne, we visited the colossal twin-spired Gothic Dom, which was one of the few structures in Germany that the Allied forces ordered to be preserved in World War II. We climbed the tower of the Dom (my daughter, Lydia, counted 536 steps!), which afforded us a magnificent view of Cologne.
Cruising the Rhine
We then continued to Boppard to embark on a Rhine River cruise. Famous for its scenery, this legendary waterway is banked by meticulous vineyards, majestic castle ruins, and numerous picture-postcard villages. This cruise was a highlight on our trip—and it didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect!
Back on land, we bussed to Worms to see the monument commemorating Martin Luther’s noble stand for the truth before the Imperial Diet of Rome. When he refused to recant his Protestant beliefs, because he refused to abandon Scripture and his conscience, he was banished to the outer reaches of the Empire. Luther spent just ten days in Worms, but these ten days fundamentally changed the world.
Luther Monument in Worms
What a monument it is! Inaugurated in 1868, Luther stands in the center, with his Bible in hand. He is surrounded by the forerunners of the Reformation, John Wycliffe, Peter Waldo, Girolamo Savonarola, and John Hus. Then, like a mighty fortress, Frederick the Wise of Saxony, who brought him to safety at Wartburg; his supporter, Philipp, landgrave at Hesse; and his friends and comrades, Johannes Reuchlin and Philipp Melanchthon, stand around him. Reliefs and medallions allude to important stages of the Reformation, as do the three ladies of Speyer, Augsburg, and Magdeburg. I have never seen such a beautiful monument, conveying so much detail, in all my life. It is the largest Reformation memorial in the world, and even more impressive than the Reformation wall in Geneva.
From there, we made it to Heidelberg, where we are to camp out for the last five days of our trip.
Heidelberg
On Thursday morning, we toured the old, beautiful Heidelberg Castle, which stands mostly in ruins overlooking the beautiful Neckar River. The completed Heidelberg Catechism was read for the first time in this castle on January 19, 1563, 450 years ago. After it was unanimously accepted, the theologians and pastors who were present were so overwhelmed with joy that they stayed over the following Sabbath to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together as a manifestation of their unity in Christ.
Holy Spirit Church
After lunch, we walked through the old town, and visited the Heiliggeistkirche—the Holy Spirit Church (founded in 1398), where Caspar Olevianus, coauthor of the catechism, served as preacher. The primary author of the catechism, Zacharias Ursinus, also preached on the catechism here and sometimes gave lectures. We also climbed the tower of this church (209 steps, according to Lydia), from where one gets a stunningly beautiful view of the castle and the whole of Heidelberg with its old red-tiled roofs. What a nostalgic experience this visit was!
Tour Group in Heidelberg
