Four bags of money hidden around 1640 and worth "much more than a craftsman could earn in a year" have been found inside a statue at a Gothic church in Germany Restorers at a famous Gothic church in Germany have discovered a "huge fortune" that was hidden in the leg of a statue nearly 400 years ago The treasure — four bags of coins from the 1600s — was likely concealed during the Thirty Years' War when Swedish soldiers frequently plundered the region The discovery is an "incredible story," Ulf Dräger curator and head of department at the State Coin Cabinet of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany who made the find in May 2022 but didn't announce it until November 2024 a town in the east-central state of Saxony-Anhalt the Protestant Reformer who wrote the "Ninety-five Theses" against corruption in the Roman Catholic Church someone used the church as a safe haven to hide their stash They put the four "bulging purses" holding 816 coins into a cavity in a leg of a sandstone statue which is part of an epitaph for a countess and count "It is nothing short of a miracle that the treasure did not come to light sooner," he added It will take time for coin experts to assess the hoard's value Much more than a craftsman could earn in a year," he noted The most valuable gold coins were wrapped in paper and labeled in a way that indicates the money belonged to the church treasury it is not the bell pouch for the Sunday collection," Dräger said it is the collected income from special services provided by the pastors," such as weddings Pastors also collected money from "chair fees," in which congregants would pay to sit in prominent seats in the church Related: 32 stunning centuries-old hoards unearthed by metal detectorists Halle)The coins were discovered in the leg of the kneeling count statue at St Halle)Two of the leather pouches that held the coins The stash includes a gold coin known as a "golden angel"; gold ducats and double ducats; silver coins known as thalers half-thalers and quarter-thalers; and hundreds of pennies Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox The hoard was hidden during the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648) a series of wars that started with the Holy Roman emperor imposing religious control over his realm and later involving political territorial and commercial conflicts in neighboring areas of Europe Locals were forced to quarter and feed Swedish troops and pay them vast sums of money "Eisleben lost around half of its population between 1628 and 1650," Dräger said "[It was] a picture of constant war horror." Halle)The valuable gold coins wrapped in paper a successful 17th-century miner in the region earned about 1 thaler One pound (0.45 kilograms) of butter cost about 3 pennies The loss of this hoard was likely a tragedy at the time "This makes the find a highly significant historical and real testimony but also for the history of the state of Saxony-Anhalt in the heart of Europe," he said —Rare hoard of Roman-era coins discovered in German mountains — miles from the empire's frontlines —Massive medieval coin hoard worth 'about 150 sheep' discovered in Germany's Black Forest —2,100-year-old coin hoard dating to dynasty of Jewish kings discovered in Jordan Valley Eisleben had an "Aerarium Pastorale" — a common parish fund that was used as a pension and health fund and to promote the training of theologians "Perhaps we now have this fund before us," Dräger said Researchers now plan to study each coin individually and document their finds online and at the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle They will also present their findings at St "It is a stroke of luck that the Lutherstadt Eisleben Protestant Parish Association has decided to lend the coins to the museum to enable research to be carried out," Dräger said Her work has appeared in The New York Times She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU Hårby Valkyrie: A 1,200-year-old gold Viking Age woman sporting a sword Archaeologists discover hundreds of metal objects up to 3,400 years old on mysterious volcanic hilltop in Hungary 1,800-year-old warhorse cemetery held remains of a beloved horse — and a man considered an 'outsider' to Roman society Want to travel back 500 years? In Lutherstadt Wittenberg, stand in the middle of the enormous Asisi Panorama the circular painting depicting medieval street life hear the church bells and eavesdrop on gossip Even shaking hands with Martin Luther and his friends seems a possibility But there are many more connections to the Great Reformer in the German federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia enjoy the same food and see what his family life was like in intriguing museum displays you can see powerful works that confirm his reputation as one of the foremost painters of his age Take the tour and then stay overnight in the castle’s shadow at the atmospheric and luxurious Romantik Hotel auf der Wartburg which re-enact the exchange of vows between Luther and Katharina von Bora in 1525 Please go to: www.visit-luther.com or visit Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest Please go to: www.visit-luther.de or www.visit-thuringia.com KGAttn: Angela KellerOlbrichtstrasse 2169469 WeinheimGermany Phone: +49 (0) 6201 – 60208 – 17Email: visit-luther@tourcomm-germany.com Website: www.visit-luther.com please send an email or call Monday – Friday About LutherCountry: Where you can walk in Luther’s footsteps Would you like to step inside the very room in which Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German or admire the pulpits from which he preached and where pastors still preach today Do you want to taste beer brewed the way Martin Luther liked it where you can explore Luther’s old stomping grounds and much more LutherCountry is situated in the heart of Germany and has so much to offer from fascinating churches and museums for the believers and history or culture fans among you to beautiful landscapes that could be straight out of a children’s picture book What do the places in LutherCountry all have in common they were the stage for Martin Luther’s tumultuous life and thus played a special role in the Reformation which changed the way people thought about so many aspects of daily life Martin Luther’s influence spread through Western Europe and Grab your suitcase and come experience the unforgettable – LutherCountry is waiting to be discovered Álvaro Joaquim Melo Siza Vieira was born in Matosinhos (near Porto) From 1949-55 he studied at the School of Architecture His first built project was finished in 1954 He taught at the School of Architecture (ESBAP) from 1966-69 and was appointed Professor of "Construction" in 1976 He was a Visiting Professor at the Ècole Polythéchnique of Lausanne Los Andes University of Bogotá and the Graduate School of Design of Harvard University; he taught at the School of Architecture of Porto (jubilate in 2003).He is the author of many projects such as: the Boa Nova Tea House and Restaurant; 1200 dwellings built in Malagueira Évora; the Superior School of Education in Setúbal the new School of Architecture in Porto; the Library of Aveiro University; the Museum of Modern Art in Porto; the Church and Parochial Centre in Marco de Canavezes; the Pavilion of Portugal for EXPO '98 and the Pavilion of Portugal in Hannover 2000 (with Souto de Moura); the dwelling and offices complex of “Terraços de Bragança” in Lisbon; and he has rebuilt the burnt area of Chiado in Lisbon since 1988 including the projects for some buildings like Castro e Melo and others.He has been coordinated the plan of Schilderswijk's recuperation in The Hague which finished in 89; in 1995 he finished the project for blocs 6-7-8 in Ceramique Terrein Maastricht.In Spain he has completed the projects for the Meteorological Centre of Villa Olimpica in Barcelona; the Museum of Contemporary Art of Galicia and the Faculty of Information Sciences in Santiago de Compostela; the Rectorate of the Alicante University; Zaida building – offices South Korea and Sweden.Having been invited to participate in international competitions he won the first place in Schlesisches Tor at the recuperation of Campo di Marte in Venice (1985) and at the renewal of Casino and Café Winkler Salzburg (1986); Cultural Centre for the La Defensa Madrid (with José Paulo Santos) (1988/89); J California (with Peter Testa) (1993); Pietà Rondanini Room Milan (1999); Special Plan Recoletos-Prado Madrid (with Juan Miguel Hernandez Leon e Carlos Riaño) (2002); Toledo Hospital (Sánchez-Horneros office) (2003); “Atrio de la Alhambra” in Spain (with Juan Domingo Santos)(2010); “Parco delle Cave” Lecce in Italy (with Carlos Castanheira) (2010).He has participated in the competitions for Expo 92 in Sevilla Spain (with Eduardo Souto de Moura and Adalberto Dias) (1986); for "Un Progetto per Siena" Italy (with José Paulo Santos) (1988); the Cultural Centre La Defensa in Madrid Spain (1988/89); the Bibliothèque of France in Paris (1989/90) the Helsinki Museum (with Souto de Moura) (1992-93); Flamenco City of Xerez de la Frontera Spain (with Juan Miguel Hernandez Leon) (2003).From 1982 to 2010 has won many different awards and have been assigned with Medals of Cultural Merit from many country around the world Doctor "Honoris Causa" in various European and International universities.He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science; "Honorary Fellow" of the Royal Institute of British Architects; AIA/American Institute of Architects; Académie d'Architecture de France and European Academy of Sciences and Arts; Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts; IAA/International Academy of Architecture; American Academy of Arts and Letters Archive Prizes Researchers in Karlsruhe are using a new approach to analyse how and where a large amount of broken glass fibre from old wind turbine rotor blades can be reused the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is tackling the mass reutilisation of rotor blades from demolished old wind turbines the scientists and development specialists in the Blade Re-Use project are to determine "how the rotor blade segments could be further utilised for products suitable for large-scale production" See also: AI could improve the stability of perovskite solar cells According to those involved in the research project the material could be used in noise barriers coastal and water protection - or even in excavation shoring: the protection of a civil engineering structure against the outer edges of the excavation pit slipping the aim of Blade Re-Use (official spelling: "BladeReUse") is to "develop the entire process from dismantling and disassembling the rotor blades to testing design adaptation and qualification for further use through to testing the new products under real conditions" The researchers also want to calculate the life cycle assessment of the entire recycling and production process for the respective applications Also interesting: Meyer Burger redoubles efforts for solar module recycling The six KIT project partners in this project include commercial companies such as a composite material producer or a noise barrier manufacturer The federal motorway company Autobahn-GmbH is also involved With the subscription to this newsletter, I agree to be informed about interesting publishing and online offers of Alfons W. Gentner Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. I can revoke this agreement and unsubscribe at any time. Further information on the handling of data can also be found in our privacy policy Then read one of our other pv europe newsletters - special newsletter for investors (monthly) - special newsletter PV for farmers (monthly) Looking to stay on top of all relevant industry and business news? Click here to subscribe to our free twice-weekly pv Europe newsletter. A podcast for investors on the opportunities and risks of the solar market The pv Europe editorial team offers their own analysis and discusses current topics with experts granite Luther Stone commemorates the event it was nearly 200 years old when Luther walked across it complete with houses and one-of-a-kind shops Explore one; explore several; walk in Luther’s footsteps You can now view those one-of-a-kind inspirational Instagram photos and videos at visit_luthercountry Find out more about LutherCountry by contacting people that are there or have been there Then add your own memorable moments when YOU visit When the world celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation next year, one man takes the headlines: Martin Luther. But the Great Reformer would be the first to acknowledge that he could not have changed history without the help of his devoted friends and family visitors to LutherCountry (the German federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia) can also learn about Katharina von Bora Luther’s wife; painter Lucas Cranach the Elder; Philipp Melanchthon the Reformation’s intellectual leader; Johann Sebastian Bach whose music inspired Lutherans; George Spalatin who helped Luther live incognito in Wartburg Castle their wedding re-enactment includes a bride groom and 2,000 guests in medieval costumes Crowds cheer the happy couple as they process past half-timbered houses in the town where Luther triggered the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church it offers a rare insight into the life and works of this important humanist and reformer LUCAS CRANACH THE ELDER: LUTHER'S PORTRAIT PAINTER a mere 10-minute stroll from the world's first Bach museum CHRISTMAS MARKETS: WHERE LUTHER WOULD FEEL AT HOME Whether you are looking for a route through LutherCountry, seeking information on LutherCities, or need the perfect pictures, we’ll be happy to assist you! Please visit the “Press” area on our website to get free access to a lot of helpful resources including our latest Press Kit Please go to: www.visit-luther.com or visit Facebook on: www.facebook.com/luthercountry or Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/luthercountry KGAttn: Larissa GrafOlbrichtstrasse 2169469 WeinheimGermany If you need assistance, please send an email or call Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central European Summer Time. Would you like to step inside the very room in which Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German, or admire the pulpits from which he preached and where pastors still preach today? Do you want to taste beer brewed the way Martin Luther liked it? Then come and visit LutherCountry, where you can explore Luther’s old stomping grounds and much more! LutherCountry is situated in the heart of Germany and has so much to offer, from fascinating churches and museums for the believers and history or culture fans among you, to beautiful landscapes that could be straight out of a children’s picture book. What do the places in LutherCountry all have in common? Centuries ago, they were the stage for Martin Luther’s tumultuous life and thus played a special role in the Reformation, which changed the way people thought about so many aspects of daily life. Martin Luther’s influence spread through Western Europe and, with European settlers, to the United States. Although Luther lived five centuries ago, his presence is still tangible today. Grab your suitcase and come experience the unforgettable –LutherCountry is waiting to be discovered! Pani Garmyder / Shutterstock Goslar Tours The medieval mining town of Goslar was founded back in 922 AD and has a fascinating history involving knights its adorable cobbled streets endlessly lined with half-timbered guild houses are a meanderer’s dream come true The huge Zwinger Tower and the Imperial Palace of Goslar dominate the skyline of Goslar while the beautiful Gustav Adolf Stave Church never fails to stop travelers in their tracks and boasts of the rare history of being ruled by women for 800 long years It houses steep-roofed half-timbered buildings from at least five centuries and a medieval Old Town all still preserved in their original condition as the town was lucky enough to escape destruction during the war If there was ever a contest for the most quaint town the UNESCO World Heritage town of Quedlinburg would be an unrivaled contender import PrebidBidService from "/v1/js/PrebidBidService.js"; import AmazonBidService from "/v1/js/AmazonBidService.js"; window.addEventListener('intersecting',async (e) => { const element = document.querySelector('[data-id="in_article_1"]'); const slot = element.getAttribute('id'); if(e.detail.slotName !== slot) { return; } let promises = []; if(window.canRunPrebid) { const prebidService = new PrebidBidService(); promises.push(prebidService.requestPrebidBids(null [slot])); } if(window.canRunAmazon) { const amazonService = new AmazonBidService(); promises.push(amazonService.fetchBids(null [slot])); } if(promises?.length) { await Promise.all(promises).then(() => { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); }); } else { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); } }); Wernigerode Historical Landmark as it has incredible routes waiting with the promise of adventure and discovery A romantic narrow-gauge steam railway passes through Wernigerode on its way to Brocken Photo by Max Payload on Unsplash From a tiny mining village around year 1250 to a much-loved spot for winter sports lovers, Braunlage has come a long way. This picturesque town offers incredible opportunities for skiing and tobogganing and offers breathtaking views over its panorama from its 400m-high Wurmbergseilbahn Braunlage is also a popular health resort housing several spa gardens The picture-postcard town of Blankenburg sits shyly by the Goldbach stream it is hard to imagine that it was hit hard by a devastating fire in 1836 and once housed a hard labor camp The 12th-century Schloss Blankenburg nestled in a lush baroque garden tells the story of medieval times while the ruins of Schloss Regenstein still stand witness to almost eight centuries of history Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Markus Muller / Unsplash A walk around the Old Town of Duderstadt is like a stroll through the pages of history The cityscape of this town dating from 929 AD is adorned by St and the gorgeous Town Hall protected by ancient towers An aerial view of Duderstadt would reveal a sea of red roofs crowning half-timbered houses wrapped tightly by lush green fortifications Deny Hill / Unsplash The town of Eisleben was christened Lutherstadt Eisleben in honor of Martin Luther who was born here and also breathed his last in this town Various monuments dedicated to Martin Luther are still today immaculately maintained and proudly shown off Andrew’s Church (where he held his last sermons) Eisleben also has rows of adorable half-timbered houses that are so typical of Harz towns German Trips and Tours Want to continue your germanic adventure Germany has plenty to offer from their iconic Christmas markets fairy tale-esque Black Forest and mystical castles to the urban cities of Berlin and beyond import PrebidBidService from "/v1/js/PrebidBidService.js"; import AmazonBidService from "/v1/js/AmazonBidService.js"; window.addEventListener('intersecting',async (e) => { const element = document.querySelector('[data-id="in_article_4"]'); const slot = element.getAttribute('id'); if(e.detail.slotName !== slot) { return; } let promises = []; if(window.canRunPrebid) { const prebidService = new PrebidBidService(); promises.push(prebidService.requestPrebidBids(null [slot])); } if(promises?.length) { await Promise.all(promises).then(() => { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); }); } else { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); } }); If you click on a link in this story All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip Read Next Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December Design The Most Beautiful Churches in Berlin See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October See & Do The Best Weekend Trips From Heidelberg See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September See & Do A Guide to River Cruises in Germany: What to Know Art 10 Masterpieces You Can Only See in Munich See & Do Germany's Most Beautiful Abbeys and Monasteries US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd