Martin Luther Monument

The Martin Luther Monument is a bronze sculpture standing near Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington that shows a figure in a long robe holding a Bible. The work sits on a large granite base and occupies a triangular lot at a busy intersection.

German Emperor William I. sent a bronze replica of the famous Luther Monument from Worms, Germany, in 1884 as a gift to the church for Luther's 400th birth anniversary. This was part of a larger effort to establish German and Lutheran monuments across America.

This standing figure was one of the first outdoor depictions of a religious leader in the city, showing how the Lutheran community had established roots in America. The location became a gathering point for people connected to this faith tradition.

The monument sits on a triangular plaza at a street intersection and is easily reached on foot. Visitors can see the sculpture year-round since it stands in the open on public ground with no restricted access hours.

The monument was not an original work but a copy of the famous Luther Memorial in Worms and later inspired the placement of other Luther statues across American cities. These copies spread like a network of memorials that carried the memory of the reformer across the nation.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1884

Creator: Ernst Friedrich August Rietschel

GPS coordinates: 38.90658,-77.03170

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:07