Frederick the Wise (1463-1525) was born near Leipzig, Germany. He was Elector of Saxony during the height of the controversies surrounding Martin Luther. A pious man, he studied under Augustinian monks at Grimma, traveled to the Holy Land, and became a rapt student of the Bible under John von Staupitz. In 1502 he founded the University of Wittenberg, appointing Luther and Philip Melanchthon to professorships. Later, to protect Luther from the Catholic Church, he sent soldiers to accompany him during his trial and to later conceal him for his safety. While his original goal in the case of Luther was for justice to be served, he became increasingly convinced that the Reformer’s doctrinal beliefs were correct. Prior to his death, he joined the Protestant church. His protection of Luther allowed the great Reformer to not only work in relative peace, he was also protected from certain execution or assassination.
