German Reformation

German Reformation Leader

Martin Luther was the German Reformation leader, although he had no intention of being one in the beginning. In 1517, Martin Luther, a Catholic Monk, posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenburg Church to display his discontent with aspects of the church such as indulgences. Theses are a list of points up for debate. This action was a large outcry against the church, and although Luther did not intend to dismantle the church in Germany, he had unknowingly begun the process.

Fig. 1 - Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Following Luther's 95 Theses was a period known as the Luther Affair (1518 - 1521). This period saw three things occur:

1. Luther continued to criticise the Catholic Church and called for reform of its practices, especially indulgences.
2. Luther's teachings and writings gained more support.
3. A crackdown by the Catholic Church on Martin Luther, with threats of excommunication and treason against the church being put forward during debates in Ausburg and Leipzig.

German Reformed Church

Martin Luther believed that the authority of the pope had corrupted the Catholic Church. He argued for a return to the words of the Bible and a stricter following of them. This helped to create the German Reformed Church, otherwise known as the Lutheran Church. Here are some of Luther's core beliefs, influenced by what the Bible said:

Causes of the German Reformation

Luther was excommunicated by the Pope in 1521 and faced the Diet of Worms on the 16 April 1521. This was a formal deliberative assembly where Luther was called to take back his radical message of reform. Luther refused to do so and was determined to push for his reforms.

Luther's work was banned, and he had to go into hiding in Saxony under the protection of Fredrick the Wise. Luther continued to work and published pamphlets that improved his support across the country. Martin Luther's German translation of the New Testament was completed in 1522, and due to the boost in printing at the time, it spread quickly around the country.

Fig. 2 - Luther before the Diet of Worms by Anton von Werner

Luther also benefited from allying with local rulers who helped by offering support in many ways. Economic support was crucial to Luther's cause, as it allowed his message to spread faster, and military support allowed Luther to operate safely, and protect those who followed him. Perhaps the most helpful support however was political, as German princes were able to apply Lutheranism from the top down to their people, and also convince other princes of his benefits.

Throughout the 1530s and 1540s, more major principalities such as Saxony and the Electoral Palatinate converted their churches to Lutheranism. It continued to spread across the country, with the Northern areas of Germany being entirely Lutheran by the 1550s.

Radicalism in the Reformation

There were other groups that spawned from Lutheranism who were more radical. These groups were:

1. Thomas Müntzer & The German Peasants: Müntzer believed that Luther's reforms did not extend far enough. He believed that not only the Church needed reformation but also society as a whole with equal wealth distribution. He led a rebellion in 1525, but he and the peasants were crushed with 100,000 being killed. Müntzer was arrested and killed after their defeat.
2. The Anabaptists: The Anabaptists believed in adult baptism after new spiritual birth and emerged from Ulrich Zwingli's teachings in Zürich, Switzerland. They were also inspired by Luther, spreading across south Germany and Austri, but they were intensely persecuted wherever they were. The Münster Rebellion occurred in 1534, when they held the city for over a year until its fall in 1535. After this, they fell out of political importance.

Fig. 3 - This woodcut shows the title page of the Memmingen Articles of War during the German Peasants War in 1525. Woodcuts and the printing press meant that pamphlets could spread the message of Reformation throughout Germany quickly

Why was Lutheranism popular in Germany?

Lutheranism was popular within Germany, and was mainly implemented from the top-down. The reasons for this are:

Luther and the German Reformation

Martin Luther died in 1546 as a result of natural causes. However, this did not stop the denomination from expanding, and it finally was accepted as an option for Christians in 1555 as a result of the Peace of Ausburg. This solidified the German Reformation Church as being complete.

The 'Peace of Ausburg was a treaty signed between the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and a group of Lutheran leaders known as the Schmalkaldic League. This treaty ended the religious conflict and legally confirmed the status of Lutheranism, allowing Christian leaders to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism. This treaty did not however allow other forms of Protestantism, such as Anabaptism and Calvinism.

This was the final piece that completed the German Reformation, and Martin Luther's legacy had been fulfilled.