The Luther Decade 2013 - 2017

Martin Luther in Heidelberg

With the Heidelberg Catechism, in 1563 the seat of power in the Palatinate became a German offshoot of Geneva, an outpost of Calvinistic reform theology. However, the starting point for the Palatine Reformation was a public forum led by Martin Luther in 1518. In April 1518 the General Chapter of the German Order of Augustinian Hermits met in Heidelberg. Since 1503 their Vicar-General had been Johann von Staupitz, one of the mentors of the Augustinian monk Martin Luther. In 1518 the General Chapter, which met every three years, was occupied with tensions arising from controversies within the Order. Led by the Wittenberg professor, the forum planned as part of the accompanying program, was expected give strong emphasis in favor of the Protestant reformation movement. The General Chapter did not meet in the monastery itself, but in the Artists’ Auditorium of on the east side of Augustinergasse. The Beadle was present and bore the University Scepter. This official setting underlined the significance of the forum, in which many scholars and student took part. Since the anniversary Luther Year in 1983, a stone panel in the paving of the University Square has marked this spot.

 

Luther’s appearance set off a movement

For Luther the journey to Heidelberg was his first public appearance as a theologian outside Wittenberg since his 95 Theses of 1517. Equipped with letters of recommendation from Prince-Elector Frederick the Wise – the journey was not without its dangers – he reached Heidelberg via Würzburg and took up residence in the Augustinian Monastery. Because Count Palatine Wolfgang, a younger brother of the Prince-Elector Ludwig V, had studied in Wittenberg in 1515, Luther was invited as a friend to dine in the castle.
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An April 26, 1518 Luther led the public forum, in which he presented 28 theological and 12 philosophical theses. As far as can be concluded from contemporary notes, the discussion focused on Luther’s Doctrine of Justification, and there was no time left for attacks on the domination by Aristotelian philosophy. An unauthorized publication of the theses appeared in 1520 and the complete publication was published in 1530 with Luther himself as its editor. The forum did not cause a scandal. It is true that the university received an admonition from the Royal Court for supporting a public forum with outsiders, but otherwise things remained quiet. The significance of Martin Luther’s public appearance in Heidelberg lies in the spark it set off: Among the audience were many student theologians, who later became reformers in southwest German cities: Theobald Billican (Nördlingen), Johannes Brenz (Schwäbisch Hall and Stuttgart), Martin Bucer (Strasbourg), Martin Frecht (Ulm) and Wenzel Strauß (Heidelberg, later Urach).


For more information about Luther in Germany, visit www.europaeischer-tourismusverbund.de

 

Guided Tour for Groups
The Luther Tour: “...they would stone you and beat you to death!”– how the insignificant monk Martin fed the flames of the Protestant Reformation in Heidelberg

As an Augustinian monk, Luther had still not gained widespread fame when he came to Heidelberg in early 1518. Half a year after nailing his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, repudiating the sale of indulgences, he led a public forum in Heidelberg and emerged triumphant from the debate.

This is an entertaining and informative walking tour on Luther’s visit to Heidelberg as well as the development of the Protestant Reformation and how it affected the history of the city.

Duration: 1.5 hours
Languages: German, English
Price: € 120 in German, € 130 in English, school groups € 95 in German, € 105 in English

Maximum group size: 28 persons