Luther and the German Reformation, c1515-55
Word bank: Impacts:
- Mass: Central ceremony at Church that occurs every Sunday - Disintegration of the religious unity of
The ceremony has 2 parts: Europe (was mainly Roman Catholic)
1) Liturgy: Rituals (fixed) performed in Latin (hence, not understood) - National identity & patriotism became
2) Sermon: Educational part delivered by Priest in German (hence, understood) defined in religious terms.
- Clergy: anyone working for Catholic church - Germany, Scotland, Netherland,
- Laity: anyone who is NOT a working member of the Catholic Church France descended into religious wars
- Canon law: laws of the Catholic Church + political upheavals
- Upper clergy: Bishops, Archbishops, cardinals, Pope
- Lower clergy: monks, priests
- Transubstantiation: process of change in bread and wine into Jesus’ body and blood.
o Laity only get the bread- only clergy get wine.
- Edict: list of secular laws passed by the diet
Reformation in Germany took hold rapidly, and with greater popular support than in other European countries. This cannot solely be ascribed to
the charismatic popularity of Martin Luther. Favorable conditions were present to persuade the large populations.
His initial protest was in 1517; by 1521, it was observed that “nine out of ten cry Luther.”
So, what were the conditions of the German nation which allowed for Luther’s views to flourish?
Conditions in the Early 16th Century Germany
The Holy Roman Empire
The structure of central government
The seven electors
The respective powers of the emperor and the princes
The imperial election of 1519
The Structure of The Holy Roman Empire
Was already 500 years old by the time of the “Reformation”, with TWO main powers:
, - The emperor
- The Imperial estates
Included an estimated “390 pieces” (excluding Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Northern Italy):
What was the breakdown?
46 ecclesiastical states, ruled by “prince bishops” (6 archbishops & 40 bishops of the Empire). The Archbishops are effectively
Kings of their territory.
26 large, secular states, ruled by “princes”, must also have an bishop ruling along side them
Roughly 60 small ecclesiastical states ruled by “lesser prelates”
About 150 small secular states ruled by counts
About 65 imperial cities (run by city councils owing allegiance directly to the emperor & not to any other prince). These are free
cities (in the secular; not ecclesiastical realm)
a. The city council was composed of citizens
b. To become an imperial city, you must be a city of significant size
Not all of these territories were loyal to the emperor. However, they had a shared goal: autonomy
The capitulation is PROOF that ALL wanted the power of the Emperor reduced. All electors, regardless of being
secular or ecclesiastical, voted for this.
These states had different languages, ethnicities
The altering allegiances led to internal conflicts
Further emphasized by the fact that boundaries between these states & cities were seldom logical (i.e., an imperial city might
be located within the borders of another state)
There were about 600 imperial knights (numbered over 10,000 during the Middle Ages + played a crucial role as the heavy
cavalry of the medieval armies)
By the 1500s, this pride remained, but their military role was made redundant = led impoverished lives in dilapidated
castles.
,Who were they, and why were they troublesome? RQM
- Imperial knights (Reichsritter) were free nobles whose direct overlord was the Emperor, unlike regular knights who were vassals of
a higher lord.
- They were distinguished by their “Imperial immediacy” = were equals to other entities, such as the secular & ecclesiastical
territorial rulers.
- However, unlike all of those, the I.K. did not possess the status of Estates = were not represented in the Imperial Diet
o No representation = no way they could change laws to improve their finances
o In 1495, petitioned for inclusion in Imperial Diet + presented list of grievances to assembly of Worms
o However, nobility refused to enact any of their protests, except making private warfare illegal
o DISASTROUS as deprived knights of major source of wealth (ransoming cities/ nobility)
Due to once being a powerful demographic who lost both power and prestige (due to increased wealth of higher nobility, advances
in military tech (muskets) which threatened to make the warriors obsolete), they launched revolts:
August 1522 revolt launched by Sickingen (The Knight’s Revolt)
o Led to knights who supported revolt having land confiscated + reduced to working for higher nobility
How did this relate to Luther?
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, posted in Wittenberg 1517, presented opportunity for knights to regain former prestige
As reformation spread, status quo of traditional social hierarchy was challenged = knights saw their change to
improve fortunes through supporting Luther & seizing Catholic lands
More on the Knights’ Revolt (if relevant): https://www.worldhistory.org/Knights'_Revolt/ Sickingen & Hutten
, The Structure of Central Government
- The Emperor, for the most part over the course of the Empire, was an elected official
o At the birth of the Empire in the 9th century, the Pope chose the emperor, beginning with Charlemagne (hugely successful /\
converted many areas of Europe to Christianity)
o Continued to be the case (although became hereditary between 9th-13th century)
o Then, after the 13th century, the emperor was instead to be elected by a group of prince electros (the imperial estates), who
were split into two groups: the secular electors & spiritual electors
Ecclesiastical (spiritual) Temporal (secular) electors
electors These men formed the Council of Electors in the imperial diet (a
The Archbishop of Mainz form of parliament & law-making body of the Empire)
The King of Bohemia
The Archbishop of Trier The Count Palatine of the Rhine Representatives of all the Lords of the Empire sat in the diet
The Archbishop of Cologne The Elector of Saxony 52 imperial cities also sent representatives
The Margrave of Brandenburg Could make rules that overruled those of the territories within
the Empire
However, member states also had certain powers to make their own law & voting processes. This, coupled with the complexity
of the voting process, meant that the Imperial Diet was largely incapable of passing any meaningful, or widespread laws.
The diets also played a crucial role in the Reformation. For example, in the Diet of Worms (1521), Martin Luther was given the
ability to defend his religious views in front of the Emperor.
It was an opportunity for Luther and led to the “Edict of Worms” made by Charles V.
The Circles: RQM The Swabian League:
- Between 1500-12, HRE was divided into 10 “circles” - Only effective armed force in Empire, created in 1488 by
- Five of the circles were dominated by just one or two Maximilian’s father
territories - Originally had function of securing L&O in south-west
o Bavaria dominated Bavarian Circle Closest thing to imperial army
o Austrian Circle composed only of Habsburg
Lands
Central Courts
o Another was made up of the four electors with
lands on the River Rhine (Mainz, Cologne, Trier,
- Every state and city in HRE had its own laws = no
and Palatine) common legal system
Purpose was: Needed supreme court of sorts to act as an ultimate
- Regional co-ordination:
arbiter in settling disputes between, or within
o Each Circle had an assembly with representatives states, that cannot be settled at a circle level.
drawn from all the member states of the circle. - There were two rival courts (emphasizing distrust
Word bank: Impacts:
- Mass: Central ceremony at Church that occurs every Sunday - Disintegration of the religious unity of
The ceremony has 2 parts: Europe (was mainly Roman Catholic)
1) Liturgy: Rituals (fixed) performed in Latin (hence, not understood) - National identity & patriotism became
2) Sermon: Educational part delivered by Priest in German (hence, understood) defined in religious terms.
- Clergy: anyone working for Catholic church - Germany, Scotland, Netherland,
- Laity: anyone who is NOT a working member of the Catholic Church France descended into religious wars
- Canon law: laws of the Catholic Church + political upheavals
- Upper clergy: Bishops, Archbishops, cardinals, Pope
- Lower clergy: monks, priests
- Transubstantiation: process of change in bread and wine into Jesus’ body and blood.
o Laity only get the bread- only clergy get wine.
- Edict: list of secular laws passed by the diet
Reformation in Germany took hold rapidly, and with greater popular support than in other European countries. This cannot solely be ascribed to
the charismatic popularity of Martin Luther. Favorable conditions were present to persuade the large populations.
His initial protest was in 1517; by 1521, it was observed that “nine out of ten cry Luther.”
So, what were the conditions of the German nation which allowed for Luther’s views to flourish?
Conditions in the Early 16th Century Germany
The Holy Roman Empire
The structure of central government
The seven electors
The respective powers of the emperor and the princes
The imperial election of 1519
The Structure of The Holy Roman Empire
Was already 500 years old by the time of the “Reformation”, with TWO main powers:
, - The emperor
- The Imperial estates
Included an estimated “390 pieces” (excluding Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Northern Italy):
What was the breakdown?
46 ecclesiastical states, ruled by “prince bishops” (6 archbishops & 40 bishops of the Empire). The Archbishops are effectively
Kings of their territory.
26 large, secular states, ruled by “princes”, must also have an bishop ruling along side them
Roughly 60 small ecclesiastical states ruled by “lesser prelates”
About 150 small secular states ruled by counts
About 65 imperial cities (run by city councils owing allegiance directly to the emperor & not to any other prince). These are free
cities (in the secular; not ecclesiastical realm)
a. The city council was composed of citizens
b. To become an imperial city, you must be a city of significant size
Not all of these territories were loyal to the emperor. However, they had a shared goal: autonomy
The capitulation is PROOF that ALL wanted the power of the Emperor reduced. All electors, regardless of being
secular or ecclesiastical, voted for this.
These states had different languages, ethnicities
The altering allegiances led to internal conflicts
Further emphasized by the fact that boundaries between these states & cities were seldom logical (i.e., an imperial city might
be located within the borders of another state)
There were about 600 imperial knights (numbered over 10,000 during the Middle Ages + played a crucial role as the heavy
cavalry of the medieval armies)
By the 1500s, this pride remained, but their military role was made redundant = led impoverished lives in dilapidated
castles.
,Who were they, and why were they troublesome? RQM
- Imperial knights (Reichsritter) were free nobles whose direct overlord was the Emperor, unlike regular knights who were vassals of
a higher lord.
- They were distinguished by their “Imperial immediacy” = were equals to other entities, such as the secular & ecclesiastical
territorial rulers.
- However, unlike all of those, the I.K. did not possess the status of Estates = were not represented in the Imperial Diet
o No representation = no way they could change laws to improve their finances
o In 1495, petitioned for inclusion in Imperial Diet + presented list of grievances to assembly of Worms
o However, nobility refused to enact any of their protests, except making private warfare illegal
o DISASTROUS as deprived knights of major source of wealth (ransoming cities/ nobility)
Due to once being a powerful demographic who lost both power and prestige (due to increased wealth of higher nobility, advances
in military tech (muskets) which threatened to make the warriors obsolete), they launched revolts:
August 1522 revolt launched by Sickingen (The Knight’s Revolt)
o Led to knights who supported revolt having land confiscated + reduced to working for higher nobility
How did this relate to Luther?
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, posted in Wittenberg 1517, presented opportunity for knights to regain former prestige
As reformation spread, status quo of traditional social hierarchy was challenged = knights saw their change to
improve fortunes through supporting Luther & seizing Catholic lands
More on the Knights’ Revolt (if relevant): https://www.worldhistory.org/Knights'_Revolt/ Sickingen & Hutten
, The Structure of Central Government
- The Emperor, for the most part over the course of the Empire, was an elected official
o At the birth of the Empire in the 9th century, the Pope chose the emperor, beginning with Charlemagne (hugely successful /\
converted many areas of Europe to Christianity)
o Continued to be the case (although became hereditary between 9th-13th century)
o Then, after the 13th century, the emperor was instead to be elected by a group of prince electros (the imperial estates), who
were split into two groups: the secular electors & spiritual electors
Ecclesiastical (spiritual) Temporal (secular) electors
electors These men formed the Council of Electors in the imperial diet (a
The Archbishop of Mainz form of parliament & law-making body of the Empire)
The King of Bohemia
The Archbishop of Trier The Count Palatine of the Rhine Representatives of all the Lords of the Empire sat in the diet
The Archbishop of Cologne The Elector of Saxony 52 imperial cities also sent representatives
The Margrave of Brandenburg Could make rules that overruled those of the territories within
the Empire
However, member states also had certain powers to make their own law & voting processes. This, coupled with the complexity
of the voting process, meant that the Imperial Diet was largely incapable of passing any meaningful, or widespread laws.
The diets also played a crucial role in the Reformation. For example, in the Diet of Worms (1521), Martin Luther was given the
ability to defend his religious views in front of the Emperor.
It was an opportunity for Luther and led to the “Edict of Worms” made by Charles V.
The Circles: RQM The Swabian League:
- Between 1500-12, HRE was divided into 10 “circles” - Only effective armed force in Empire, created in 1488 by
- Five of the circles were dominated by just one or two Maximilian’s father
territories - Originally had function of securing L&O in south-west
o Bavaria dominated Bavarian Circle Closest thing to imperial army
o Austrian Circle composed only of Habsburg
Lands
Central Courts
o Another was made up of the four electors with
lands on the River Rhine (Mainz, Cologne, Trier,
- Every state and city in HRE had its own laws = no
and Palatine) common legal system
Purpose was: Needed supreme court of sorts to act as an ultimate
- Regional co-ordination:
arbiter in settling disputes between, or within
o Each Circle had an assembly with representatives states, that cannot be settled at a circle level.
drawn from all the member states of the circle. - There were two rival courts (emphasizing distrust
