In 2015, the Lutherstadt Wittenberg will be transformed into the “city of Cranach”. The city will shine in bright colors just like the paintings of Cranach himself, and traces of the master painter will await discovery behind every corner. For an entire year, Wittenberg will celebrate the 500th anniversary with exhibitions, contemporary art projects, theater, multimedia installations, craft works, audio walks, and youth projects. Artists and others involved in the cultural sector around the region will take part in more than 30 individual projects within this very diverse program.

On June 26, the Cranach Foundation’s “World of Cranach” exhibition will open its doors in Cranach’s birth house, offering an introduction to the life of the family of painters. In the newly restored Drill Hall, artistic works created for the “Cranach 2.0” Cranach prize offer a modern perspective on the old master. And the “Schauplatz Wittenberg” project has even more to discover, with artistic projects breathing new life into unoccupied buildings and shops throughout the year.


On various promotional weekends throughout the year, visitors will have the opportunity to take up a paintbrush themselves, slip into the role of a historical figure, and make new discoveries in the city. For an entire year, Wittenberg will be transformed into the “city of Cranach” and the spirit of the Cranach workshops will be everywhere.