Near our post-war home is the Elmwald. There, not far from the town of Königslutter, is a memorial stone in remembrance of the peculiar “letters of indulgence”, which used to be sold by the Dominican monks in the middle ages.

 According to the belief of that time, by buying such a letter of indulgence one was redeemed from all worldly and ecclesiastical sins. According to history the stone recalls a robber knight, who not only bought piously for past sins — no he bought another ‘letter” for future sins (for double the fee of course). Now the knight was free for the past and future. Then he proceeded to steal the monk’s heavy money box and cunningly offered his “letter of indulgence” in exchange. 

This was ultimately the reason why the church reformer Dr. Martin Luther born 500 years ago nailed his 95 famous theses to the door of the Schlol3kirche at Wittenberg in 1517. — The Reformation began. — “When the coin in the coffer rings, the Soul from purgator springs” hasn’t in fact existed since then, but our ANTONIUS is still good enough to forgive your little sins. 

Start him up to play his “Ave Maria”!