The History and Influence of Martin Luther
The History and Influence of
Martin Luther
A German priest, professor of theology and philosophy, but most importantly an iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. This man alone challenged the most powerful religion, empire, and figure of the time. What he did would soon influence the lives of millions of people all around the world. He is known as the father of Protestantism. The man changed the course of history and reshaped Europe. This man’s name is Martin Luther.
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony, in the Holy Roman Empire (currently located in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) to the parents of Margarette and Hans Luther. Hans Luther was the son of a farmer who was originally going to take over his dad’s land but turned his back on him and became a copper miner. In 1484 after the birth of his son Hans moved from Eisleben to Mansfeld to get a better job. When Hans arrived in Mansfeld he became a successful copper smelter in 1491. His wife Margarette Luther came from a small but well-off family. She was mainly a housewife who did a lot of the house work. Margarette took care of their three children and was considered to be a harsh disciplinarian. Both of his parents were extremely abusive. Martin once wrote that he would be beaten until the “blood flowed” which led him to running away and becoming a monk at a monastery. Hans died in 1530 and Margarette in 1531.
In Martin’s early life, his father had very high hopes and dreams for his eldest son. Hans was determined to have his son become a lawyer so that the Luther family could be higher up on the social ladder as the family was currently peasant. When he was a child, Martin was enrolled in Latin school where he was taught the Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, and Latin grammar. By the age of 14, in 1497, he attended a school at Magdeburg which he was displeased with and described the experience as “purgatory and hell”. In 1501, at the age of 18,
Martin Luther
A German priest, professor of theology and philosophy, but most importantly an iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. This man alone challenged the most powerful religion, empire, and figure of the time. What he did would soon influence the lives of millions of people all around the world. He is known as the father of Protestantism. The man changed the course of history and reshaped Europe. This man’s name is Martin Luther.
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony, in the Holy Roman Empire (currently located in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) to the parents of Margarette and Hans Luther. Hans Luther was the son of a farmer who was originally going to take over his dad’s land but turned his back on him and became a copper miner. In 1484 after the birth of his son Hans moved from Eisleben to Mansfeld to get a better job. When Hans arrived in Mansfeld he became a successful copper smelter in 1491. His wife Margarette Luther came from a small but well-off family. She was mainly a housewife who did a lot of the house work. Margarette took care of their three children and was considered to be a harsh disciplinarian. Both of his parents were extremely abusive. Martin once wrote that he would be beaten until the “blood flowed” which led him to running away and becoming a monk at a monastery. Hans died in 1530 and Margarette in 1531.
In Martin’s early life, his father had very high hopes and dreams for his eldest son. Hans was determined to have his son become a lawyer so that the Luther family could be higher up on the social ladder as the family was currently peasant. When he was a child, Martin was enrolled in Latin school where he was taught the Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, and Latin grammar. By the age of 14, in 1497, he attended a school at Magdeburg which he was displeased with and described the experience as “purgatory and hell”. In 1501, at the age of 18,
Citations: * Ganss, Henry. "Martin Luther." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. Print. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438b.htm>. * . "Martin Luther." PBS. Devillier Donegan Enterprises, 2003. Web. 15 Jan 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/index.html>. * . "Martin Luther." Christianitytoday. Christianitytoday, 08 Aug 2008. Web. 15 Jan 2012. <http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/theologians/luther.html>. * . "Martin Luther." Famous People. Famous People, n.d. Web. 15 Jan 2012. <http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/martin-luther-92.php>. * .Speake, Jennifer, and Thomas G. Bergin. "Luther, Martin." Encyclopedia of Renaissance and the Reformation, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc.< http://www.fofweb.com/NuHistory/default.asp?ItemID=WE53&ID=103356&DataID=6&NewItemID=True&submitquery=1&InputText=martin%20luther>