Places of Interest – The town of Torgau gained worldwide prominence when American and Soviet forces met on the Elbe at Torgau in April 1945 before the official end of the Second World War. The Memorial of the Encounter commemorates this event. Besides this, there is plenty more today’s major district town of Nordsachsen has to offer. Torgau, which was first mentioned in historical documents in the year 973, was the preferred residence of the House of Wettin. The town bore characteristics of a capital of the Electorate of Saxony and was the political center of the Protestant Reformation. The historic town center with more than 500 different monuments has preserved the splendor of the former electoral town and invites the visitor to an imaginary journey into the Renaissance. Surrounded by noble patrician houses and the Renaissance town hall, the marketplace is an impressive sight to the visitor. Furthermore, one of Saxony’s oldest pharmacies, the Mohrenapotheke, as well as Germany’s oldest toyshop can be found in Torgau. The color coded guidance system will help you on your tour throughout the town.

Stadtkirche St. Marien Luther used to preach in the Marienkirche (Town Church of St Mary’s) regularly. His wife Katharina Luther, born a von Bora, is buried here. Worth seeing, besides her richly decorated tombstone, is the famous painting “Fourteen Holy Helpers” by Lucas Cranach the Elder. The Marienkirche, which can be seen from far away, is the oldest church of Torgau. It was built in 1119 and was restored around the year 1200. Originally a Romanesque basilica, the church was rebuilt into a late Gothic hall church from 1390 onwards. The ribbed vault is one of the most beautiful features of this church.

The painting “Fourteen Holy Helpers” (1505) by Lucas Cranach the Elder is the most significant piece of décor which still exists. Well worth seeing are the bronze tomb plate of Duchess Sophia von Mecklenburg (1504), the Passionsaltar (1509), the tombstone of Katharina Luther (1552) and the richly decorated wooden pulpit (1582). The late Gothic high altar (1698) was built by Giovanni Simonetti.

The church was heavily damaged in 1813 when it served as a hospital. In 2002, the final repainting was finished and the interior was rebuilt true to the original style, thus restoring the appearance of the Marienkirche as it was in the 15th century.