Martin Luther

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Martin Luther November 10, 1483February 18, 1546
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The Early Years 1490 to 1509 November 10, 1483
Luther is born in Eisleben 1484 Early Summer
Family moved to Mansfeld March 12, 1491
Luther begins school at Mansfel Lateinschule
1498 Spring Luther goes to school in Eisenach
May 1501 Luther enters University of Erfurt
September 29, 1502 Luther receives
Baccalaureate degree and begins studying for
his Masters January 1505 Luther receives his
Masters degree May 19, 1505 Luther begins law
school at University of Erfurt July 2, 1505
Luther is caught by a thunderstorm on the way
back to Erfurt from his parent's house and is
nearly struck by lightning July 17, 1505
Luther enters the Black Monastery in Erfurt
1507 Luther begins study of theology at the
University of Erfurt April 3, 1507 Luther is
ordained to priesthood
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Luthers Birthplace in Eislaben
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Luther begins school at Mansfel Lateinschule
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Luther is Ordained into the priesthood on April
3, 1507
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Luther teaching at the NEW Wittenberg University
in 1508 he was 24.
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The Conversion 1505 1505 (age 21) January
Luther receives his Masters degree. His father
gives him a copy of Corpus Iuris and arranges for
his entry into law school. July 2 Luther, on his
way back to Erfurt from parents' house, is caught
in a bad thunderstorm. He is nearly struck by
lightening and thrown to the ground. He vows he
will become a monk if St. Anne will save him.
(St. Anne was the patron saint of miners, i.e.
most of the men Luther grew up around.)

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Luther enters the monastery on July 17, 1505
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Luther the Professor 1510 1516 1510 Luther
leaves on a journey to Rome. He and a traveling
companion are charged with handling some of his
order's political affairs. 1512 Luther becomes
a Doctor of Theology. Luther is admitted to the
senate of the theology faculty at the University
of Wittenberg. 1514 Luther becomes priest for
Wittenberg's city church in addition to his
duties at the university. Luther is appointed the
Augustinian vicar for Meissen and Thuringia. This
appointment gives him charge over eleven
Augustinian monasteries in his area. He becomes
increasingly busy and often finds he is behind on
his saying of the daily office. 1515Luther
begins a year of lectures on the Epistle to the
Romans. In his studies he comes to the personal
conviction that the just shall live by faith.
Luther publishes the Theologia Germanica, a
manuscript by the Friends of God. He adds his
own preface and claims he learned more from this
manuscript than any other source save the Bible
and Augustine.
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Luther accepts his Doctorate of Theology, 1512
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1517 Johann Tetzel begins selling indulgences on
the borders of Saxony. Among his customers are
some of Luther's parishioners. Luther notices
fewer people are coming to confession. He finds
out about Tetzel's activities and begins
preaching against indulgences. He also writes
Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of
Indulgences. October 31 Luther posts the 95
Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle
Church, which was a kind of bulletin board for
the University. His intent is to spur debate. He
also sends copies of the theses to a few bishops
and some friends. Initially, he gets very little
response.
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Posting of the 95 Thesis
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1517- 1526 Luther the Reformer 1518 March 26
The Disputation at Heidelberg begins. It is a
debate of Luther's ideas at a meeting of the
Augustinian chapter. Luther joins the debate in
April. Several of the brothers come to accept his
way of thinking. The papal court begins an
inquisition in Rome in response to Luther's
ideas. Luther is tried in his absence on charges
of heresy. Emperor Maximilian denounces Luther
as a heretic August 7 Luther is summoned to Rome
within sixty days to answer charges against him
1519 January 4 Luther begins an interview with
papal chamberlain, Carl von Miltitz in Altenburg.

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Pope Leo X Luther was asked to recant his
positions. Luther refused - 1518
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1519 October 12 Luther begins his interview with
Cardinal Cajetan in Augsburg (in lieu of going to
Rome) . Cajetan tells him to recant, return to
the heart of the church and stop his disruption
of church life. October 14 Luther ends his
interview with Cajetan. Luther refuses to recant.
October 20 Luther flees from Augsburg in fear
of his life. December 18 Luther is ready to go
into exile. But Frederick decides not to banish
him, despite requests by the pope (via his
representative Carl von Miltitz) to do so.
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1519 January 6 Luther ends his interview with
Miltitz. Luther agrees to make certain
concessions, including sending a letter of
apology to the pope, and to lay his case before
Matthäs Lang, the archbishop of Salzburg.
March 3 Luther writes a letter to Pope Leo X.
In the letter he states that it was not his
intention to undermine the authority of the pope
or the church. June 27 Luther and Andreas
Karlstadt debate Johann Eck in Leipzig. At the
heart of the debate is the issue of indulgences
and the unique authority of the pope and the
Roman church. July 14 Luther finishes his
debate with Eck, convinced that Eck won. As a
result of the debate the impact of the
Luther-Rome dispute begins to grow. Luther and
his ideas become un ignorable.
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Picture of John Eck 1520 Luther debated him in
Leipzig 1519
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1520-1521 1520 Pope Leo X issues bull of
excommunication against Luther. It is entitled
Exsurge Domine ("Arise, Lord, and defend thine
own vineyard against the wild beast that is
devouring it.") Luther has 60 days to recant.
Luther burns Exsurge Domine and other papal
documents under a large oak outside the walls of
the city. H e also burns books of church law and
books written by his enemies. 1521 Luther is
excommunicated in the bull Decet Romanum
Pontificem. Diet of Worms begins in April and
during the second hearing of the Diet, Luther
says, "Unless I am convicted by Scripture and
plain reason-- I do not accept the authority of
popes and councils, for they have contradicted
each other-- my conscience is captive to the Word
of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything,
for to go against conscience is neither right nor
safe. God help me."  He probably didn't say "Here
I stand."
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Luther burning the Papal Bull in 1520
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Luther shall NOT recant at the Diet of Worms, 1521
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1521 Wartburg May 4 Luther is captured by
"bandits" on his way home from Worms. He is taken
to safety in Wartburg. Luther knew about the
capture beforehand. The ruse allows Frederick to
escape charges of harboring a heretic. May 10
Luther arrives at Wartburg castle, near Eisenach.
He hides there for 11 months (from 5/4/1521 to
2/29/1522). During that time, he grows his hair
and a beard and calls himself Junker Jörg (Knight
George) picture of Luther's room at Wartburg.
While at Wartburg he struggles with the devil.
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1522While Luther is Wartburg, a number of
changes take place in Wittenberg. Monks first
refuse to say private Mass, then begin leaving
the Augustinian congregation until it is finally
disbanded. The minister at the castle church
marries. Students destroy the altar at the
Franciscan monastery. An Evangelical Lord's
Supper begins to be celebrated with the liturgy
in German and the cup offered to the
laity. February The ban on Luther and his
followers is lifted March 1-6Luther leaves
Wartburg and travels to Wittenberg accompanied by
several knights. Upon arriving in Wittenberg, he
immediately preaches in the parish church.Luther
begins two years of preaching. He travels
throughout central Germany, including Erfurt and
Weimar.
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Luthers Room at the Wartburg Castle 1522
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1524-1527 The Third Imperial Diet of Nuremberg
renews the banishment of Luther. By this time,
however, he is so popular it is unlikely he would
be arrested.  He continues his life and work in
Germany. June 13Luther marries Katherine von
Bora. They take up residence in the Black
Cloister, the former Augustinian monastery in
Wittenberg. 1527 Luther writes "A Mighty
Fortress is our God". By mid summer, he is
suffering from depression. His ill health plagues
him. He feels powerless to help those of his
followers who are suffering for their faith and
may be suffering from survivor's guilt.
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Luther marries Katherine von Bora in 1524
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1529 March Luther publishes the Small
Catechism May 4 Luther publishes the Large
Catechism The Diet of Augsburg convenes. Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V summons the German
Lutheran nobility to Augsburg to account for
their "Lutheran" views. They present the emperor
with Philip Melanchthon's Augsburg Confession The
Augsburg Confession is read before the imperial
diet. It is a deliberately moderate Lutheran
confession of faith containing both doctrine and
a list of ecclesiastical abuses that demand
remedy. Over the course of the next three months,
Roman theologians issue a refutation, the
Confutatio Pontificia.
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1530 The Diet of Augsburg convenes. Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V summons the German Lutheran
nobility to Augsburg to account for their
"Lutheran" views. They present the emperor with
Philip Melanchthon's (pictured below) Augsburg
Confession.
1534 Luther publishes the first edition of the
German Bible. He continues to work on revisions
for the rest of his life.
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1538-1546 Luthers Later Years 1538 Luther's
health deteriorates. He suffers from "the stone"
(probably uric acid stones), moderately severe
arthritis, heart problems, and his ever present
digestive disorders. His poor health begins to
affect his work. The amount of writing he is able
to do begins to drop dramatically. 1542
September 20 Magdelena, Luther's daughter, dies.
Luther suffers from severe depression. He mourns
his daughter's death, sees the plague sweeping
through Wittenberg, believes the faithlessness of
his fellow Germans is a sign of the End Days. He
writes his will and thinks of his own death.

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Magdelena, Luther's daughter, dies in 1542
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1545 Luther writes the preface to the complete
Wittenberg edition of the Latin writings.   March
25 Luther writes Against the Papacy at Rome
Founded by the Devil. The argument has a basis in
logic and Scripture. The language is the most
vehement and vulgar Luther has ever written. To
accompany it Luther commissions from Lucas
Cranach a series of scatological political
cartoons defaming the pope and Rome. 1546
February 17 at 3AM Luther, surrounded by an
audience, dies of heart failure (possibly due to
a coronary thrombosis) at roughly 3 AM in
Eisleben. The room he died in eventually becomes
a memorial.
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Martin Luther Dies at age 62 February 17, 1562
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Luther at 21 Luther at 36
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Luther at age 61
Luther at 50
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1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never
failing our helper he amid the flood of mortal
ills prevaling. For still our ancient foe doth
seek to work us woe his craft and power are
great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not
his equal. 2. Did we in our own strength
confide, our striving would be losing, were not
the right man on our side, the man of God's own
choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus,
it is he Lord Sabbaoth, his name, from age to
age the same, and he must win the battle. 3. And
though this world, with devils filled, should
threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God
hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The
Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him
his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure
one little word shall fell him. 4. That word
above all earthly powers, no thanks to them,
abideth the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru
him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also the body they may kill
God's truth abideth still his kingdom is
forever.
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Credits Luther his life and work / Author
Ritter, Gerhard, 1888-1967. Call Number
BR325 .R633 Luther and his times the
reformation from a new perspective / Author
Schwiebert, E. G. Call Number BR325 .S335
Luther's life / Author Stolee, Ingeborg
B. Call Number BR 325 .S727 Photo Credits
Project Wittenberg www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/t
ext/wittenberg/wittenberg-home.html