Martin Luther: biography, personal life, photos and videos

Biography

On November 10, 1483, a boy was born into the family of a simple Saxon miner, who was noted in history as an outstanding personality, the founder of Protestantism in Germany, the great reformer, theologian - Martin Luther. This man is also famous as a translator of sacred Christian texts (the Bible), the founder of the norms of the common German literary language, and the mother-in-law of the African-American Baltic preacher Martin Luther King.

Martin's father, Hans Luther, was hard-working; he sought to provide his family with all the necessary material goods, which was very difficult for him. Initially, he was an ordinary peasant in the village of Mera, but, having moved in search of a better life to Eisleben, he got a job in the local copper mines. When the future reformer was 6 months old, the family went to live in Mansfeld, and there Hans acquired the status of a wealthy burgher.

Martin Luther's parents

At the age of 7, little Martin had to experience his first life difficulties. The parents sent their son to study at a city school, which “provided” Luther with constant humiliation and punishment. The educational system of this institution did not allow the talented child to obtain the required level of knowledge, and during the 7 years of his studies here, Martin only learned to read, write, and learned several prayers and the Ten Commandments.

At the age of 14 (1497), young Luther entered the Franciscan school in Magdeburg, but a year later he was transferred to Eisenach. There was a catastrophic lack of money, Martin was in poverty, and together with his friends he sang under the windows of devout citizens, trying to somehow feed himself. Then the young man began to think about making money on his own in the mines, like his father, but fate decreed otherwise.

The teenager accidentally met the wife of a wealthy resident of Eisenach. A woman named Ursula decided to help the boy by inviting him to her house for temporary residence, which opened the way for Martin to a new life.

In 1501, Luther graduated from school and entered the University of Erfurt (faculty of philosophy). Martin stood out among his peers with an excellent memory, absorbed new knowledge like a sponge, easily absorbed complex materials, and soon became the center of everyone's attention at the university.

Having received his bachelor's degree (1503), young Luther was invited to lecture students on philosophy. At the same time, he studied the basics of law at the request of his father. Martin developed comprehensively, but he showed the greatest interest in theology, reading the works and writings of the great church fathers.

Portrait of Martin Luther

One day, after another visit to the university library, Luther fell into the hands of the Bible, reading which turned his inner world upside down.

After graduating from university, Martin Luther decided to take a high action that no one expected from him. The philosopher went to the monastery to serve God, abandoning worldly life. One of the reasons was the sudden death of Luther's close friend and his awareness of his own sinfulness.

Thuringia: home of Martin Luther's family

It is known that Martin Luther, a native of the Saxon city of Eisleben, came from Thuringian peasants. His family history is connected with the western part of the Thuringian Forest and the environs of the city of Eisenach. Namely, with the village of Myora, which has been known in sources since the 14th century. The place was famous for the nearby swamp, in which, according to legend, many people and livestock perished. By the end of the 15th century, approximately 250 people lived in the village. They paid taxes to the imperial treasury and were virtually independent of the local nobility. Very closed and stubborn people lived in those parts. Thuringian peasants maintained their traditional way of farming until the 17th century. The village was located three days' drive from a major center of culture and trade - the city of Nuremberg.

Hans Luder and Margaret Lindeman. (Wikimedia Commons)

The real name of the future arbiter of the destinies of the German nation is Lüder. This surname was considered quite common in the Eisenach area. In fact, the reformer himself, while a student at the University of Erfurt, was recorded as “Martinus Lüder of Mansfeld.” The Lüders owned five households in the village of Myora: Martin Heine's grandfather Lüder was the owner of one of these households. Four sons: Veit, Heinz, Hans Sr. and Hans Jr. lived with their father. According to the old tradition, the land was inherited by the youngest son in the family, Heinz. The rest left their father's house in search of a better life.

Luther's house in Eisenach in 1498-1501. (Wikimedia Commons)

Hans Lüder Sr. went down the aisle with Eisenach resident Margaret Lindemann in 1481. Two years later, Hans, his one-year-old son and his pregnant wife left for the poor areas of Eisleben. The head of the family worked in the mines of Mansfeld County to feed his pregnant wife and child. On November 10, 1483, the couple had a second son, Martin. In the summer of 1484, the Lüder family was already living in Mansfeld: his father worked tirelessly in the copper mines and by 1509 he became a mining foreman - Hans had a percentage of the profits from eight mines and three smelters. By 1525, he had accumulated a decent inheritance: for 1,250 guilders it was possible to purchase a plot of land with an estate, arable land and forest. Martin's father was a rather hardworking man who became a wealthy burgher.

Life at the monastery

In the holy place, the young theologian was engaged in various duties: he served the elders, performed the work of a gatekeeper, wound the tower clock, swept the church yard, and so on.

Wanting to rid the guy of the feeling of human pride, the monks periodically sent Martin to the city to collect alms. Luther approximately followed every instruction and used austerities in food, clothing, and rest. In 1506, Martin Luther became a monk and a year later became a priest, becoming Brother Augustine.

Monk Martin Luther

Dinner for the Lord and the status of a priest did not become a limitation for Martin in further learning and development. In 1508, the Vicar General recommended Luther as a teacher at the University of Wittenberg. Here he taught young children dialectics and physics. He soon received a bachelor's degree in biblical studies, which allowed him to teach theology to students. Luther had the right to interpret the biblical scriptures, and in order to better understand their meaning, he began to study foreign languages.

In 1511, Luther visited Rome, where representatives of the Holy Order sent him. Here he was faced with contradictory facts regarding Catholicism. Since 1512, he held the position of professor of theology, read sermons, and acted as caretaker in 11 monasteries.

Childhood and youth

One day, after another visit to the university library, Luther fell into the hands of the Bible, reading which turned his inner world upside down.

Reformation

Despite his visual closeness to God, Martin Luther constantly felt some complexes, considered himself sinful and weak in his actions before the Almighty. The spiritual crisis became the beginning of the theologian’s rethinking of the spiritual world and the path to reformation.

In 1518, a papal bull was issued, which was criticized from Martin's point of view. Luther was completely disillusioned with Catholic teachings. The philosopher and theologian composes his own 95 theses, which fundamentally refute the postulates of the Roman Church.

Martin Luther Bible

According to Luther's innovation, the state should not depend on the clergy, and the latter should not act as an intermediary between man and the Lord of all things. Martin did not accept the sayings and demands regarding the celibacy of spiritual representatives, and destroyed the authority of the Pope's decrees. Similar reform actions had been observed in history before, but Luther’s position turned out to be quite shocking and bold.

Martin Luther at Worms: “On this I stand...”

Martin's theses quickly gained popularity in society; rumors of the new teaching reached the Pope himself, who immediately invited the dissident to his trial (1519). Luther dared not to come to Rome, and then the pontiff decided to anathematize the Protestant (excommunication from the holy sacraments).

In 1520, Luther committed a defiant act - he publicly burned a papal bull, called on the people to fight papal dominance and was deprived of his Catholic rank. On May 26, 1521, according to the Edict of Worms, Martin was accused of heresy, but supporters of the basic ideas of Lutheranism helped their master escape by staging his abduction. In fact, Luther was placed in Wartburg Castle, where he began translating the Bible into German.

Martin Luther burning the papal bull

In 1529, Martin Luther's Protestantism received official acceptance by society, being considered one of the movements of Catholicism, but a few years later a split occurred in his “camp” into two more movements: Lutheranism and Calvinism.

John Calvin became the second major reformer after Luther, whose main idea was the absolute predetermination of human destiny by God.

Faith is the cornerstone

He writes explanations for theses in which he questions the infallibility of the Pope, although Luther still agrees to obey him. The theses caused fierce controversy throughout Germany. From criticizing indulgences, Luther's supporters moved on to discussing Catholic dogmas themselves.

Then Pope Leo X issues a bull in which he threatens to excommunicate the freethinker from the church. On December 10, 1520, Martin publicly burned the papal letter in front of the city gates of Wittenberg. The Pope's answer was not long in coming - the 37-year-old scientist was excommunicated from the church. Thus began the Reformation.

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Engels gave a comparative description of Martin Luther. He put him on a par with such titans as Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer and Niccolo Machiavelli. Luther's complete works contain 38 volumes.

Excommunicated from the church, Martin took refuge in the castle of a Saxon prince to avoid falling into the clutches of the Inquisition. He began developing his own creed, which would later be called Protestant. He went down in history as the ideological leader of the Protestant movement, the leader of its oldest denomination - Lutheranism. His teaching shortened the distance between God and man.

The essence of the teaching

Luther came to the idea that the salvation of the soul lies in faith itself. This became the main tenet of Martin Luther's reformist teachings. Faith is the cornerstone of the doctrine, and the key to its fantastic popularity. He gave a new meaning to the New Testament. On one side of the scale there were Catholics, on the other, Lutherans.

Sincere faith atones for sins and keeps us from unrighteous acts. Unlike Catholicism, which required the formal performance of rituals, Protestantism was directed to the heart of every believer.

Luther's doctrine of "Salvation by Faith":

a person is saved only by faith;
faith is found only through the grace of God;
Only the Holy Scriptures and the word of God are the authority in matters of faith.

Luther argued that the relationship between God and man is personal and does not require the intervention of the church, which should only help people understand the Bible.

He, as the most educated theologian, translated the Bible into German, making the ancient texts accessible to public reading. Luther laid the foundations of the German language, in which Goethe, Schiller, Kant and other famous authors would write.

The Reformation coincided with the development of printing in Europe . Through the power of the printed and unprinted word, Luther changed the religious and cultural life of millions of people for centuries to come.

The theologian wanted to reform only the church, but his ideas took on a life of their own and ignited the entire world of Western Christianity.

Peasants' War

The year Martin entered the monastery, astrologers predicted that in about 20 years, when all the planets would gather in the constellation Pisces, wars, troubles and hardships would begin. On the eve of the heavenly council in 1521, more than fifty warning treatises were published. The engravings depicted a great fish in the sky and turmoil on Earth.

Luther did not trust astrologers and astronomers. He called Copernicus a fool. At the appointed time in 1524, the peasant war began. Luther was against popular uprisings, and as a typical German burgher spoke out in favor of reprisals against the rebels and the restoration of order.

After 2 years, the rebellion was suppressed, but by that time Germany had already become a completely different country. The Lutheran Church became increasingly popular.

It became more understandable and accessible. It was freed from icons and complex rituals; in many German cities, Catholic monasteries were closed and new services were introduced in German.

Basic ideas of Lutheranism:

justification by faith;
refusal to sell indulgences;
secularization of church property;
the supremacy of Holy Scripture;
accessibility of the Bible for all segments of the population.

Some researchers suggest that the imaginary sins of which Luther repented are associated with the wild imagination of a young man deprived of communication with girls. But in the list of temptations, he gave priority not to love demons. Martin wanted one thing - to believe without doubt. He wanted too much. From now on, Luther's main temptation would be the sin of despondency.

Opinion about Jews

Martin Luther's attitude towards Jews changed throughout his life. Initially, he condemned the persecution of representatives of this nationality and recommended treating them with tolerance.

Martin sincerely believed that a Jew who heard his sermons would definitely decide to be baptized. In his pamphlet “That Christ was Born a Jew,” the theologian emphasized the Jewish origin of Christ and supported the ancient people in their reluctance to follow “papal paganism.”

Martin Luther. Portrait by Lucas Cranach

Afterwards, the reformer became convinced that the Jews did not intend to follow his teachings, and at some point he became hostile to them. Luther’s books, written in this state, were anti-Jewish in nature (“On the Jews and Their Lies,” “Table Talk,” etc.).

Thus, the famous German philosopher disappointed the Jewish people, who turned away from the reformations proposed by Luther. Subsequently, the Lutheran Church became a source of inspiration for anti-Semites, and its positions served to create propaganda against Jews in Germany and persecute them.

Personal life

Luther believed that God cannot forbid all people, without exception, to live in love and prolong their family line. According to facts from Martin’s biography, the wife of the brave theologian was a former nun, who bore him 6 children in their marriage.

Katharina von Bora was a nun at the monastery at the behest of her parents, impoverished nobles. When the girl turned 8 years old, she took a vow of celibacy. Church upbringing, discipline and the asceticism adopted by Katharina made the character of Luther’s wife stern and strict, which was clearly manifested in the relationship between the spouses.

Martin Luther and his wife Katharina

The wedding of Martin and Käthe (as Luther called the girl) took place on June 13, 1525. At that time, the Protestant was 42 years old, and his sweet companion was only 26 years old. The couple chose an abandoned Augustinian monastery as their joint place of residence. Loving hearts lived in simplicity, without acquiring any property. Their home was always open to people in need of any help.

No. 1. He successfully protested against the corrupt practice of leniency.

In Roman Catholicism, leniency is “a way to reduce the penalties for sins.” By the end of the Middle Ages, indulgences were widely used by the clergy, who used them as a tool through which the Church forgave people's sins in exchange for money. It was in protest against this immoral and evil practice that Martin Luther began the Reformation movement. Luther's protest against indulgences became widespread. This practice was widely used during his lifetime. The protest became so influential that even 10 years after Luther's death, in 1562, the Catholic Church continued to restrict the use of indulgences in the Council of Trent. A few years later, in 1567, Pope Pius V abolished all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.

Image of sale of Catholic indulgences

Death

Until his death, Martin Luther worked hard, lectured, preached, and wrote books. An energetic and hard-working person by nature, he often forgot about food and healthy sleep. Over the years, this began to manifest itself in dizziness and sudden fainting. Luther became the owner of the so-called stone disease, which caused him a lot of suffering.

Funeral of Martin Luther

Poor health was “reinforced” by mental contradictions and doubts. During his lifetime, Martin admitted that the Devil often came to him at night, asking strange questions. The founder of Protestantism prayed to God for death, being in an excruciatingly painful state for many years.

Luther died suddenly in February 1546. His body was solemnly buried in the courtyard of the palace church, where he once nailed the famous 95 theses.

In 2003, in memory of the historical figure, Eric Till shot a biographical drama film called “Luther,” showing the life of the holy minister from the beginning of his reform activities until his death.

Martin Luther - briefly

Near 500

years ago, a member of the Augustinian Order, Martin Luther, nailed his famous
95
theses to the door of the temple in Wittenberg, where he briefly outlined his views on religion. Who was he himself before becoming the “father” of the Reformation? And what consequences did his challenge to the Catholic Church have for himself and for the faithful?

Childhood

Martin Luther's father, Hans, was a simple miner. At that time, working in copper mines was considered the only way to feed a family. He was married to a simple and calm girl, Margarita, who gave him a son in January 1483
. The boy received the name in honor of his grandfather and St. Martin, protector of the poor and disadvantaged. In connection with the birth of a child, the family moves to the town of Mansfeld. It was here that Hans became rich and became the owner of foundries. The family's wealth did not in any way affect the foundations and family traditions. Children were raised in severity and modesty, and idleness was never held in high esteem in Luther's family. It is known that Martin even worked part-time with friends by participating in religious chants.

Training a future theologian

Wealthy burghers, including Hans Luther, sought to give their sons a good education, mainly legal. Before starting to study law, one had to complete a course in the “seven liberal arts.” In 1505
, having fulfilled his father's hopes, Martin received a Master of Arts degree and began to study law in Erfruit. However, the father's joy for his son's success turned out to be short-lived. Martin's piety prompted him to join the Augustinian monastic order. Members of the order were very educated people, constantly in search of knowledge. To comply with the order, Martin continues his education at the University of Wittenberg, where he soon receives a doctorate in theology. While teaching and studying the religious works of preachers, Martin begins a search for the true sources of divine mercy. Each time, thoughts about the sinfulness of faith itself haunted the theologian. And they soon found their confirmation.

Martin Luther - fighter for the true faith

The beginning 16th
century in Medieval Europe was marked by a crisis in the Catholic Church.
Distrust and anti-church sentiments grew among believers. Increasingly, people began to encounter the immorality and shamelessness of clergy, with huge church extortions and bribes, which were mainly used for feasts and hunting. Even the Pope himself did not neglect this. What was most outraged was the sale of papal letters (indulgences) for the remission of past and future sins. In October 1517
, construction began on a pompous church in the Vatican, which required huge investments. The Pope, not wanting to spend church “savings,” issues a decree on open sales of indulgences. On every corner one could meet monks offering to save their souls for a coin. The open disregard for the true faith outraged Martin Luther.

At the end of October
1517
, Germany was rocked by an open accusation against the Catholic Church, which went down in history as
95
Theses. This date is associated with the beginning of the medieval Reformation (the struggle for the reconstruction of the church) and the emergence of a new religious movement - Protestantism.

For his daring disobedience, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the church, which in those days was considered similar to death. The papal decree received by the Wittenberg theologian was publicly burned in the courtyard of his native university. So Luther made it clear that he would not give up his views even under the threat of death.

IN 1521

year, Charles
V
(Holy Roman Emperor), in support of the Pope and the Catholic Church, summoned Luther to trial in Worms.
Close friends and supporters feared for his life and tried in every possible way to dissuade him from the trip. Martin Luther could not renounce his teachings, thereby betraying the believers who followed him. This courageous and persistent man appeared before the emperor and the highest clergy at the imperial court. Charles V
demanded that he submit to the Catholic Church and take back his accusations. Looking into the eyes of the emperor, Luther confirmed his protest by uttering the famous words: “On this I stand. And I can’t do otherwise. God help me. Amen". There was silence in the hall. Everyone knew that shortly before this event, Jan Hus, a supporter of the Reformation, was killed in the Czech Republic. However, Luther was hidden in the fortress of the Saxon prince Frederick, where he was translating the Bible from Latin into German. So he tried to make the Bible accessible to representatives of all levels of German society. Martin Luther's teaching was so simple and sincere that it immediately resonated with the people. After all, Luther believed that only through his own faith can a person achieve the salvation of his soul. This does not require either money or clergy. Clergy should only interpret the holy books to believers and be mentors in religious life. The church was not supposed to own vast lands and wealth; the clergy were to become like secular princes. Services and rituals must be cheap and accessible to everyone.

Subsequently, Lutheranism (one of the movements in Protestantism) spread far beyond the borders of German lands.

Personal life

Serving God, as Martin Luther believed, could not become an obstacle to procreation. Celibacy (vow of celibacy), according to his teaching, did not correspond to the word of the Lord, which called to be fruitful and multiply. Based on this, Luther
married a nun, Katharina von Bora,
1525 It is noteworthy that Luther himself supported the escape from the monastery of a girl who was inspired by his teaching. 6
were born , but nothing is known about their further fate. Katarina turned out to be not only an ardent supporter of his religious views, but also a caring, loving wife. In the last years of his life, Luther was overcome by illness, but the woman was always there, trying to serve and cheer up her husband to the last.

February
18 , 1546
, the great reformer passed away. He was buried with honors near the University of Wittenberg.

Bibliography

Berleburg Bible
Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans (1515-1516)
95 theses on indulgences (1517)
To the Christian nobility of the German nation (1520)
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520)
Letter to Mulpfort (1520)
Open letter to Pope Leo X (1520)
About the freedom of a Christian
Against the damned bull of the Antichrist
Speech at the Worms Reichstag on April 18, 1521
On the Slavery of the Will (1525)
On the war against the Turks (1528)
Large and Small Catechism (1529)
Letter of transfer (1530)
In Praise of Music(1538)
About the Jews and their lies (1543)