Martin Luther (1483-1546), the hero of the Reformation, was born in the village of Eisleben. He entered the University at Erfurt in 1501 and graduated with honors. In 1505 he entered an Augustinian monastery at Erfurt and was consecrated to the priesthood in 1507. He was a diligent scholar and in 1508 was called to the chair of Philosophy at the University of Wittenberg. In 1512 he received the degree of Doctor of Theology. In the meantime he made a pilgrimage to Rome where he saw much corruption among the clergy; but still his faith was strong in the Roman Church. It was the shameless sale of indulgences by Tetzel, authorized by Leo X, which first opened his eyes and determined him to make public opposition. On October 31, 1517, at midday, Luther posted his ninety-five Theses against the Merits of Indulgences on the church door at Wittenberg. The burning of the pope’s bull of excommunication in 1520, the Diet of Worms in 1521, Luther’s concealment in the castle at Wartburg, and his marriage to a former nun in 1525 are just a few events in his epic life. It was during his Wartburg captivity that he translated the New Testament, published in 1522, into the mother tongue of the German people. He is one of the giants of the Christian faith and was, in large part, both the inspiration and the impetus behind the Reformation.
