Celebrating 175 Years
Wartburg College traces its roots to 1852, when Pastor Wilhelm Löhe of Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, sent Pastor Georg Grossmann to America to work as a missionary of the Lutheran faith. With five students, Grossmann founded a teacher-training school for German immigrants in Saginaw, Mich. After moving several times to accommodate the shifting tide of Lutheran immigration, the college permanently located in Waverly in 1935.
Join us as we celebrate the enduring legacy of Wartburg College for our 175th anniversary throughout the 2027 calendar year.
Many historical excerpts in these pages are used from Still on the Move: Wartburg College 1852-2002, by Dr. Ron Matthias.
Signature Events
175th Campus Kick-off Events
February 2027
While we will officially kick off Wartburg’s 175th year virtually after the new year, our first campus event will be held in February.
The Wartburg and Waverly community is invited to attend these events and celebrate the enduring legacy of the college.
More details will come soon.
Wartburg Founders Day in the Capital
March 2027
Wartburg College was officially founded on March 8, 1852. To commemorate this occasion, a special event will be held in Des Moines on the weekend of the college’s founding date, which may include a recognition event at the state capitol and a special concert by the Wartburg Choir.
More details will posted when they become available.
Regional Heritage Tour
August 2027
Discover the story of Wartburg College by visiting the communities where its journey began. Experience the places that shaped its early history, and gain a deeper appreciation for the vision, resilience, and faith that guided its growth. Along the way, you’ll connect with fellow alumni and friends while celebrating the remarkable 175-year legacy that continues to inspire generations.
More details will be posted when they become available.
Homecoming
Celebration
October 2027
Homecoming 2027 will be more than a reunion—it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to celebrate 175 years of Wartburg College’s enduring legacy. Whether you’re reminiscing about your college days or creating new memories with today’s students, this historic Homecoming promises a meaningful celebration of the past, present, and future of the college.
More details will be posted when they become available.
Founders Day: March 8, 1852
“In 1850, Pastor Wilhelm Löhe of Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, suggested the foundation of an institution in the Saginaw area of Michigan, which was to consist of a hospice for immigrants and of a seminary, and which was to have a small endowment in land…The new rector, G. Grossmann, was sent to Saginaw to take charge of both the Pilgerhaus and the seminary. He signed an agreement [on March 8] which contained many of the features of the original project…Grossmann sailed from Germany with five students on April 15, 1852, and arrived in Saginaw in June.”
– Gerhard Ottersberg, Ph.D.
Wartburg College 1852-1952: A Centennial History
PHOTO: The Pilgerhaus in Saginaw, Michigan,
became the birthplace of Wartburg College.
Our Roots: Neuendettelsau
Many of the centuries-old traditions of the Wartburg Castle–culture, courage, continuity, change–live on in the life of Wartburg College. But despite its name, the college is not a direct descendent of the Wartburg Castle. The origins of Wartburg College begin elsewhere in the small Bavarian village of Neuendettelsau–and the missionary efforts of pastor Willhelm Löhe.
Guided by the conviction that faith is expressed through service, Löhe established networks of missionaries, teachers, pastors, and deaconesses who cared for immigrants and the disabled, educated children, strengthened congregations, and served people in need across Europe and North America. An example includes Diakonie Neuendettelsau, where deaconesses combined professional excellence with ministries of mercy in health care, education, and social service starting in 1854, two years after Löhe sent Pastor Georg Grossmann to the United States.
Neuendettelsau, Bavaria
Our Namesake: Wartburg Castle
Wartburg College takes its name from one of the great castles of Germany. Established on a Thuringian mountaintop as a frontier fortress more than 900 years ago, the Wartburg was destined to become instead a center of German culture. For St. Elizabeth and Walter von der Vogelweide, it was a home. For Goethe, and Wagner, and Liszt, it was a place to seek inspiration. For Martin Luther, it was a place of refuge and accomplishment. During his year at the Wartburg, Luther translated most of the New Testament into vernacular German, and in the process created a standard for the development of a uniform German written language. More recently, the castle has been transformed into a magnificent museum, and has become a destination of choice for European travelers. In 1999 it received UNESCO World Heritage designation.
In 1857, when the college relocated to St. Sebald, Iowa, the name Wartburg was first used because the area reminded Grossmann of the forests and hills that surrounded the Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, Germany. In 1992, a formal sister city agreement was signed between the city of Eisenach and Waverly. The college mascot became the Knights after the college finally settled in Waverly in 1935, which was initiated by Elmer Hertel, biology professor and the college’s first football coach, to honor Martin Luther’s legacy and time at the castle.
The Wartburg Castle
Eisenach, Germany