Ep. 240: Martin Luther - His Youth and His "Anfechtungen" (Martin Luther #2)
History of the Germans from the Middle Ages to ReunificationShow Notes
In this episode we will look at the first 35 years of Martin Luther’s life, from his birth in 1483 to a moment sometime between 1512 and 1519 when he achieved his great theological breakthrough. This is a crucial period in the history of the Reformation, a time when Luther struggled with what he called his “Anfechtungen”. Anfechtungen is one of these untranslatable German words like Schadenfreude and Gemütlichkeit. It is something more than a trial or tribulation, more of an existential assault on faith itself — an overwhelming, often visceral experience of doubt, terror, and despair before God, in which the sinner feels utterly exposed to divine judgment and abandoned by grace. Sounds quite painful. It was these “Anfechtungen” that brought about the cornerstone of his creed, that salvation is to be obtained through faith alone. It is the story how Protestantism is born in the head of just one man.
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In August 1518, Pope Leo X wrote to Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, and demanded that he hand over “a son of iniquity”, Brother Martin Luther. A few weeks later Luther was on the road to Augsburg to face Cardinal Cajetan. It was arguably the most dangerous moment of his life, more dangerous even than Worms. This episode follows how Luther got there and how close he came to the stake: Fame: four groups (imperial reformers, humanists, friars and ordinary readers) each saw their own Luther. Foes: the Dominicans, Johannes Eck, Luther’s old Erfurt teachers and, finally, the full weight of the Roman Church. Friends: Melanchthon, Karlstadt, Cranach and Spalatin. The Fat Marmot: a portrait of Frederick the Wise, the cautious, pious and remarkably peaceable prince who held Luther’s fate in his hands. Augsburg: Luther’s meetings with Cajetan, one of the sharpest theologians of his age, and how they ended in shouting. Flight: Luther’s escape through a gate in the city wall at night, and his discovery that Rome had condemned him before he was ever heard. The final hour: a farewell dinner in Wittenberg on 1 December 1518, and two letters from the Elector that changed the course of the Reformation. Further reading Armin Kohnle, Friedrich der Weise (2024) Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther Support the show: History of the Germans is advertising-free thanks to listeners like you. Become a member at historyofthegermans.com/support.
n spring 1518 Martin Luther assured Pope Leo X that he was a dutiful son of the Church. But was he still one? The 95 Theses were the perfect opening salvo: provocative, popular and, crucially, not obviously heretical. Archbishop Albrecht’s own theologians in Mainz refused to condemn them and passed the problem on to Rome. Then Luther did something new: he wrote the Sermon on Indulgences and Grace in punchy German for ordinary readers. It became an early bestseller and helped create a mass market for public debate in print. Tetzel’s Dominicans hit back with counter-theses, which Wittenberg students promptly burned. Leo X tried to deal with it inside the Augustinian order, but at Heidelberg Luther’s brothers cheered him instead. There he set out his theology of the cross and denied that fallen humans can earn salvation by their own free will. After a defiant sermon on excommunication, Rome turned to the papal theologian Prierias, whose verdict was simple: whoever questions the pope is a heretic. A summons to Rome followed, and a lone friar now faced the full weight of the papacy.
What if the most famous story of the Reformation has some massive holes? Was Tetzel really a snake oil salesman? Was Albrecht of Brandenburg and the Fuggers really after the indulgence contracts? Were the Germans been ripped off by the papacy more than anyone else? Who could believe that there is still room for new perspectives on this event?
On 31 October 1517, an Augustinian monk carried 95 theses through the streets of Wittenberg — whether to nail them to the castle church door, post them by letter, or send them to the printers remains disputed. Within two months they had spread across the Empire and beyond and the world was never the same again... In this first episode of the new season we look at the world Martin Luther grew up in, what common people like him experienced in life - mostly godawful things - and how that shaped their worldview and religious leanings. We will talk about onion-shaped societies, ancient prophecies of an age of bliss, the importance of mass even if no-one gets communion, the benefits of purgatory, pilgrimages and lots more... For video, go to https://youtu.be/kocPaQrcMyc The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0. As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast For do it yourself merchandise go to: Merchandise • History of the Germans Podcast Facebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social Instagram: history_of_the_germans Twitter: @germanshistory To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen Frederick II Stupor Mundi Saxony and Eastward Expansion The Hanseatic League The Teutonic Knights The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 The Reformation before the Reformation The Empire in the 15th century The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs
When it comes to events from German history that left a mark on the world, most minds turn towards the 19th and 20th century. But there is at least one, arguably two periods that can claim to have had equally lasting impact. One is the Investiture Controversy that we discussed in Season 2, and the other is what we will learn about now, the Reformation!