Take a Peek Inside 'Luther 1517' 360 Degree Panorama in Wittenberg

By Brandon Showalter, Opinion writer and social commentator Thursday, November 09, 2017

The exterior of the W360 Luther 1517 panorama by artist Yadegar Asisi in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 30, 2017. | (Photo: The Christian Post)

WITTENBERG, Germany — A 360 degree panorama exhibit puts on display what the town might have looked like in 1517, marking five centuries since the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

A 15x75 meter circular work constructed a short distance away from the main street in the city made famous by Martin Luther, artist Yadegar Asisi painted the town complete with characters from that time period. Martin Luther appears several times in the panorama along with other Reformation-era figures, Elector Frederick the Wise, the painter Lucas Cranach, Luther's colleague Philip Melanchton, and Luther's wife, Katharine von Bora.

Thousands have taken part in the panoramic experience and as visitors walk through the building accompanying music by film composer Eric Babak and sound effects reflecting the era emanate from speakers. Situated in the center of the panorama is an observatory deck where visitors can take it all in.

Camilo Seifert, a self-described "Saxon Lutheran" and the general manager of the W360 panorama, described it in an interview with The Christian Post last week as a "singular experience" that is "a dive into another epoch."

The Wittenberg panorama will be open for pilgrims and other visitors through Oct. 31, 2021.

Here's a sneak peek inside the panoramic experience.