The Protestant Reformation originated in Germany, with a Catholic monk named Martin Luther. Luther never wanted a breakaway from the Catholic Church; he simply wanted to reform the Church but managed to change religion in Germany forever. How did the German Reformation change Germany? What did they do to transform the nation? What did the country look like after the Reformation? Let's find out!
German Reformation Timeline
Below is a timeline outlining the key events of the German Reformation.
Date | Event |
| 1517 | Luther pinned his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenburg Church. |
| 1518-21 | The 'Luther Affair' - a period where Luther defended his beliefs against the Catholic Church. |
| 1521 | Luther was excommunicated by the Pope. |
| 1521 | The 'Diet of Worms' - Luther refused to recant his writings and had to go into hiding. |
| 1522 | Anabaptism reached Germany. |
| 1525 | The German Peasants War - an event that ended with over 100,000 peasant deaths. |
| 1527 | The first Protestant University was established in Germany. |
| 1534 | The German Bible translation was completed by Luther. |
| 1546 | Martin Luther died. |
| 1553 | English Protestants moved to Germany due to the promise of a 'pure Protestant Reformation'. |
| 1555 | The Peace of Augsburg was signed, granting toleration for Lutherans within the Holy Roman Empire. |
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:
- Luther continued to criticise the Catholic Church and called for reform of its practices, especially indulgences.
- Luther's teachings and writings gained more support.
- 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.
Indulgences
Through monetary payment, those who have sinned were able to reduce their punishment in purgatory. This was authorised by the pope and became increasingly popular in the 1500s. Luther saw this as a negative, allowing people to 'buy' their way to salvation when God was the only possible bestower in his mind.
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:
| Belief | Explanation |
| Sola scriptura | Translates to 'Scripture Alone'. Establishes the Bible as the sole authoritative source for all Christians and their worship. This was an attack on the pope's power. |
| Priesthood of all believers. | All believers were equal under the eyes of God. Everybody was capable of reading the Bible for themselves, not just priests. This meant the pope had no more authority than another Christian. Luther pointed out that the Bible did not mention the authority of the pope. |
| Supported Clerical Marriage. | Luther argued that monks and nuns being celibate was a human tradition and not stated in the Bible. |
Sola Fide | Translates to 'Faith Alone.' Luther argued that practices like buying indulgences from the pope would not get you into heaven. It was only believing in the power and holiness of Christ that would get you into heaven. |
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.
I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.1
- Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms
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.
Did you know? Pamphlets and woodcarvings allowed both the literate and the illiterate to hear the message of Protestantism and, more specifically, Lutheranism.
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:
- 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.
- 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:
Reason | Explanation |
Political | Rulers had political incentive to break off from the Catholic Church. It meant they no longer had to follow the authority of the pope or the Holy Roman Emperor, the latter who ruled over Germany in this era. |
| Economic | As Catholic Churches were reclaimed, the monasteries were stripped of their assets. Any taxes the Church collected would not go to the Pope but stay in Germany. |
| Literacy | Literacy rates were increasing as a result of urbanisation in Germany. There was also a "printing boom", with the movable type printing press being created around the mid-1400s by Johannes Gutenberg. |
| Frustration at the Church | The Anti-Clerical tone present within Lutheranism resonated with many, as there was discontent towards Catholicism in parts of the Holy Roman Empire. |
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.
German Reformation - Key takeaways
- Luther was born in 1483 to a Catholic Family and began his education in Law before transferring to theology.
- Luther became a monk in 1505 as a result of being struck by lightning. He stayed in this post for years but developed a dissatisfaction with particular Catholic ideals such as 'indulgences'.
- Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenburg Church, beginning his shift away from Catholicism.
- As Luther's popularity increased, the Catholic Church became more disgruntled with him and saw him as a threat. This led to his excommunication in 1521.
- At the 'Diet of Worms', Luther refused to recant and went into hiding where he continued to write and develop Lutheranism. His popularity increased, and Lutheranism spread across the north of Germany.
- By 1534, Luther had translated the entirety of the Bible into German from Latin, allowing everyone to have access to holy scripture.
- Luther passed in 1546 due to poor health, but his legacy was complete in 1555 when the 'Peace of Ausburg' was signed, legitimising and leaglising Lutheranism.
References
- Karl Heim, The Nature of Protestantism (1963), p.78.
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