The Town of Eisleben, Germany

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Bertha and Ruth went to stay with Bertha's parents in the town of Eisleben in eastern Germany, the hometown of religious reformer Martin Luther.  A 1933 guidebook gives the following information about the town:

In the ancient mining town of Eisleben in the eastern foothills of the Harz Mountains was born on November 10, 1483, the great reformer Martin Luther, son of a miner.  He did much of his great work here and died also in Eisleben on February 18, 1546.  The houses of his birth and death and the church of St. Andrew are true representatives of the secular and ecclesiastical culture of this town, which finds it best expression in the market square, with the marvelous from the town hall to the choir of the church and the distinguishd old houses on all sides.  But Eisleben is not a repository of past greatness; it is throbbing with activity, especially the mining carried on by the Mansfeld Company.  For over seven hundred years copper and silver have been mined, and now potash has been added and the world-famed imperishable slag-stones are produced in the foundries.

Appearing below are several pictures of downtown Eisleben taken during the years that Ruth lived there.

   
Eisleben overview and marketplace

   
Eisleben street scene and Martin Luther statue in front of the town hall