Misplaced Pages

#285714

140-750: The municipality lies in the Western Palatinate , at elevations from 275 to 290 m above sea level in the valley of the Blaubach, which rises a few kilometres away, northeast of the village near the Mayweilerhof, is also known in its upper reaches as the Dambach, and empties into the Kuselbach south of Blaubach in Kusel 's outlying centre of Diedelkopf. Flowing from the west to the Blaubach

280-557: A Dominican friar , was sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to sell indulgences to raise money in order to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Tetzel's experiences as a preacher of indulgences, especially between 1503 and 1510, led to his appointment as general commissioner by Albrecht von Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz , who, already deeply in debt to pay for a large accumulation of benefices, had to contribute

420-648: A Gymnasium teacher of German and History, first in Andernach , and then from 1964 until his retirement at the Gymnasium in Kusel. He lived in Blaubach and wrote a series of folk plays which, as a rule, were produced by amateur players. Success came with three books of sketches in which people of the Westrich country, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France , are humorously glossed. Dietrich

560-639: A lay group , and Eisenach in 1498. The three schools focused on the so-called " trivium ": grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Luther later compared his education there to purgatory and hell . In 1501, at age 17, Martin entered the University of Erfurt , which he later described as a beerhouse and whorehouse. He was made to awaken at 4 a.m. for "a day of rote learning and often wearying spiritual exercises." He received his master's degree in 1505. In accordance with his father's wishes, Luther enrolled in law but dropped out almost immediately, believing that law

700-521: A treaty was signed between Austria and Bavaria in which the various territorial changes were agreed on. According to Article 2 of the treaty, Emperor Francis I of Austria ceded various regions to King Maximilian I of Bavaria . These included, in addition to various regions east of the Rhine, the following regions west of the Rhine: These changes took effect on 1 May 1816. In accordance with

840-761: A "common understanding of justification by God's grace through faith in Christ," the Catholic Church has never lifted the 1521 excommunication. The enforcement of the ban on the Ninety-five Theses fell to the secular authorities. On 17 April 1521, Luther appeared as ordered before the Diet of Worms . This was a general assembly of the estates of the Holy Roman Empire that took place in Worms ,

980-707: A 1480 taxation assessment roll from the Amt of Lichtenberg. As early as 1112, Count Gerlach I had, with the founding of the County of Veldenz , among other things, taken over the protection of the Remigiusland , which thenceforth belonged to the Veldenz Oberamt of Lichtenberg. In 1444, Count Palatine Stephan had founded the County Palatine of Zweibrücken , to which the whole County of Veldenz , along with

1120-457: A 1717/1718 stock book, there were once again eleven families living in the village. As the 18th century went on, a steady growth in population took hold. It is likely that it was in this time that the well known – at least in Blaubach – legend of the Reweschnier arose (see below under Coat of arms ). In 1793, French Revolutionary troops occupied the land, and in 1801, France annexed

1260-484: A Blaubach village seal bore a goat . It is, however, unknown what symbolic meaning underlay this seal, but it is likely a reference to the local legend of the roebuck and the stag beetle . According to this legend, a prince-elector demanded of the villagers a roebuck, but instead got a stag beetle, both of these creatures having been known at the time in the local speech as Bock . “Roebuck” in Standard German

1400-1053: A blood pudding sausage called grieweworscht ("griewe" are speck (bacon) cubes, so lit. "sausage with bacon bits"), lewwerknedel (Leberknödel) (or lewwerknepp , liver dumplings), and fleeschknepp (Fleischknödel: meat dumplings). Sauerkraut is the typical side dish in all seasons, but especially in winter, as are mashed potatoes and brown gravy. Also eaten are dampfnudels , which can be served with either sweet sauces or side dishes (such as wine, vanilla sauce, or canned fruit such as plums, prunes, or pears) or with savory side dishes (such as potato soup, vegetable soup, goulash, or pepper pork). 49°26′N 7°46′E  /  49.433°N 7.767°E  / 49.433; 7.767 Martin Luther Bible Translators Theologians Martin Luther OSA ( / ˈ l uː θ ər / LOO -thər ; German: [ˈmaʁtiːn ˈlʊtɐ] ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546)

1540-563: A cooperation project with Kutztown University ). In the same village one can find the headquarters of the German-Pennsylvanian Association. Many more Palatines emigrated in the course of the 19th century, and the great majority of them to North America, so that in the US temporarily "Palatine" was a common designation for German Americans . Johann Heinrich Heinz (1811–1891), the father of Henry John Heinz who founded

SECTION 10

#1732780349286

1680-556: A description of the village's location also appears, dealing mainly with geographical dimensions. The worst blow struck against the region's population growth was brought by the Thirty Years' War . In 1635, a cohort of Croatian mercenaries cunningly broke into the town of Kusel . The Landsknechte raped many women, massacred most of the townsfolk and set the whole town on fire. These events likewise drew neighbouring villages into danger, although particulars do not appear in

1820-418: A farming village, as it had once been, to an almost purely residential one. This has brought along with it a lively collaboration in the furthering of a harmonious community and of cultural life, and also made people determined to work towards important goals in the village's development. Population statistics make it clear that until sometime in the 18th century, the village consisted of only a few houses. During

1960-414: A former nun, set a model for the practice of clerical marriage , allowing Protestant clergy to marry. In two later works, Luther expressed anti-Judaistic views , calling for the expulsion of Jews and the burning of synagogues . These works also targeted Roman Catholics , Anabaptists , and nontrinitarian Christians . Based upon his teachings, despite the fact that Luther did not directly advocate

2100-535: A more conciliatory approach. Luther made certain concessions to the Saxon, who was a relative of the Elector and promised to remain silent if his opponents did. The theologian Johann Eck , however, was determined to expose Luther's doctrine in a public forum. In June and July 1519, he staged a disputation with Luther's colleague Andreas Karlstadt at Leipzig and invited Luther to speak. Luther's boldest assertion in

2240-753: A name for itself over the last few years with this troupe of players. News of this amateur troupe's productions of self-written plays from village life and local history has already been broadcast on television. The troupe also stages productions outside the village in places such as the Fritz-Wunderlich-Halle on the Rossberg in Kusel, and twice on the Spanish island of Majorca . Eight of Franz Dietrich's plays have been produced: The sport and game association ( Sport- und Spielvereinigung ), from which sprang national-level footballer Miroslav Klose ,

2380-501: A new creation. In 1818, the cantons were merged into 12 administrative districts called Landkommissariat . In 1862, these were designated individually as Bezirksamt . In 1939, each one became a Landkreis (rural district). As his first provincial governor, King Maximilian selected the Privy Councillor ( Hofrat ) Franz Xaver von Zwack , whose name gave rise to the popular Palatine nickname for Bavarians, Zwockel . In 1832

2520-695: A number of Franconian territories on both sides of the Rhine formerly held by the Counts palatine ( Pfalzgrafen ) of Lotharingia . By the late 12th century, the Count palatine had achieved the status of a Prince-elector ( Kurfürst ), becoming one of the seven higher nobles with the privilege of electing the Emperor , as confirmed by the Golden Bull of 1356 . In 1214, the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach

2660-412: A profession. By 1975, the farmers’ share of the population had shrunk to 2.5%. More than 93% of the workforce was wage-dependent, and more than 25% had to go more than 30 km to their jobs. The percentage of self-employed workers was then almost 4%, but the actual number of such people had only sunk slightly. Of the 442 inhabitants, 36% were said to practise a profession. Blaubach thus presents itself as

2800-463: A renewed attack on Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz, whom he shamed into halting the sale of indulgences in his episcopates, and a Refutation of the Argument of Latomus , in which he expounded the principle of justification to Jacobus Latomus , an orthodox theologian from Louvain . In this work, one of his most emphatic statements on faith, he argued that every good work designed to attract God's favor

2940-661: A royal palace in Edenkoben , and by restoring Speyer Cathedral under the direct supervision of King Ludwig I. The new town of Ludwigshafen was named after the king. Despite these attempts, the Palatinate's representatives to the Bavarian Parliament always prided themselves on the claim that they came from a more progressive region. Indeed, they tried to promote their liberalism, which the French had introduced to

SECTION 20

#1732780349286

3080-478: A self-administering Ortsgemeinde within the Verbandsgemeinde of Kusel. In the time that followed, the village ushered in a considerable upswing through the opening of extensive new building areas. Workers, officials and businesspeople who had jobs in Kusel settled in Blaubach, thus bringing a change in the population structure. As well, the prospects for tourism improved. Blaubach is today said to be

3220-767: A short commentary on Galatians and his Work on the Psalms . This early part of Luther's career was one of his most creative and productive. Three of his best-known works were published in 1520: To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation , On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church , and On the Freedom of a Christian . Archbishop Albrecht did not reply to Luther's letter containing

3360-736: A squad under the command of Edgar Julius Jung . On 9 January 1924, Heinz was assassinated while dining at the Wittelsbacher Hof in Speyer. Other leading members of the separatist movement were killed on 12 February, in a shooting in Pirmasens . By then, a treaty between Bavaria and the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission (the supreme council of the Allied occupation forces) of January 1924 recognised

3500-455: A tourist community and (almost) a suburb of the town of Kusel with a good outlook for the future. The breakdown of the inhabitants by occupation had changed fundamentally by 1937. While earlier almost all the villagers earned their livelihood at agriculture , by this time, only about half did. Ever more inhabitants were said to be wage-dependent employees, of whom one in four went to work somewhere outside Blaubach. The village thereby turned from

3640-582: A town on the Rhine . It was conducted from 28 January to 25 May 1521, with Emperor Charles V presiding. Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony , obtained a safe conduct for Luther to and from the meeting. Johann Eck, speaking on behalf of the empire as assistant of the Archbishop of Trier , presented Luther with copies of his writings laid out on a table and asked him if the books were his and whether he stood by their contents. Luther confirmed he

3780-575: A typical rural residential community. There are also independent businesses in the village, roughly 15 of them. Because of efforts to create lodgings and the existing hotel industry, tourism might have a good chance in the future. Blaubach lies on the busy Kreisstraße 22, which only one kilometre down from the village meets Bundesstraße 420. To the south lies the Autobahn A ;62 ( Kaiserslautern – Trier ) with an interchange at Kusel lying about 3 km away. Serving nearby Kusel

3920-578: A whore and bath attendant. He had several brothers and sisters and is known to have been close to one of them, Jacob. Hans Luther, Martin's father, was ambitious for himself and his family. He was determined to see Martin, his eldest son, become a lawyer. He sent Martin to Latin schools in Mansfeld, then Magdeburg in 1497, where he attended the Brethren of the Common Life , a school operated by

4060-605: Is Kusel station on the Landstuhl–Kusel railway . There are hourly trains at this station throughout the day, namely Regionalbahn service RB 67 between Kaiserslautern and Kusel , named Glantalbahn after a former railway line that shared a stretch of its tracks with the Landstuhl–Kusel railway. In 1703, the Counts Palatine (Dukes) of Zweibrücken introduced general compulsory schooling, and then there

4200-402: Is a sin. All humans are sinners by nature, he explained, and God's grace alone (which cannot be earned) can make them just. On 1 August 1521, Luther wrote to Melanchthon on the same theme: "Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life

4340-541: Is actually Rehbock and “stag beetle” is Hirschkäfer (or dialectally, Reweschnier ). The arms have been borne since 1983 when they were approved by the now defunct Rheinhessen-Pfalz Regierungsbezirk administration in Neustadt an der Weinstraße . The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate 's Directory of Cultural Monuments: A very lively cultural life marks village life. On

Blaubach - Misplaced Pages Continue

4480-477: Is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen. At the end of this speech, Luther raised his arm "in the traditional salute of a knight winning a bout." Michael Mullett considers this speech as a "world classic of epoch-making oratory." Eck informed Luther that he was acting like a heretic, saying, Martin, there

4620-452: Is nevertheless an undercurrent of challenge in several of the theses, particularly in Thesis 86, which asks: "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus , build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?" Luther objected to a saying attributed to Tetzel that, "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings,

4760-542: Is no one of the heresies which have torn the bosom of the church, which has not derived its origin from the various interpretation of the Scripture. The Bible itself is the arsenal whence each innovator has drawn his deceptive arguments. It was with Biblical texts that Pelagius and Arius maintained their doctrines. Arius, for instance, found the negation of the eternity of the Word—an eternity which you admit, in this verse of

4900-553: Is not a place where justice resides." In the summer of 1521, Luther widened his target from individual pieties like indulgences and pilgrimages to doctrines at the heart of Church practice. In On the Abrogation of the Private Mass , he condemned as idolatry the idea that the mass is a sacrifice, asserting instead that it is a gift, to be received with thanksgiving by the whole congregation. His essay On Confession, Whether

5040-519: Is proper." Over the next three years he deployed a series of papal theologians and envoys against Luther, which served only to harden the reformer's anti-papal theology. First, the Dominican theologian Sylvester Mazzolini drafted a heresy case against Luther, whom Leo then summoned to Rome. The Elector Frederick persuaded the pope to have Luther examined at Augsburg, where the Imperial Diet

5180-821: Is said to be the village's biggest club. Attached to it as well is a promotional association ( Förderverein SG Blaubach-Diedelkopf ). Other clubs are: the Countrywomen's Club ( Landfrauenverein ), the Handicraft Club ( Bastelclub ), the Singing Circle ( Singkreis ), the Senior Women's Gymnastic Group ( Gruppe des Seniorenturnens der Frauen ), the Volunteer Fire Brigade (with an attached Youth Fire Brigade) and

5320-481: Is the Gemarkungsumgang (“walking round the municipal area”) in which a great number of the local population takes part. At a midday rest along the walk, a field kitchen serves meals. There is an interesting statistic dealing with the development of Blaubach's economic structure, according to which 95% of the population still made their living at agriculture in 1882, while the other 5% were all employed in

5460-462: Is the Röhrbach. The broadening of the valley where this stream ends originally favoured the establishment of a settlement. The elevations around the village reach up to 375 m above sea level. The municipal area measures 314 ha, of which 75 ha is wooded. Blaubach borders in the north on the municipality of Oberalben , in the east on the municipalities of Erdesbach and Altenglan , in

5600-640: Is to this day called Römerstraße – “Roman Road” . This village, with its small municipal area, might have arisen relatively late. It lay in the so-called Remigiusland , which belonged to the Bishopric of Reims and the Abbey of Saint-Remi in Reims . Consequently, Blaubach had its first documentary mention in the Remigiusberg Monastery's taxation books in 1436, and it was mentioned once more in

5740-572: The Palatinate wine region . It is one of the greatest wine-producing regions in Germany, and in the last two decades has become well known for its prize-winning white and reds of highest quality produced by a number of talented young winemakers. Major rivers include the Upper Rhine tributaries Lauter , Queich and Speyerbach , as well as Schwarzbach and Glan in the west. Historically

Blaubach - Misplaced Pages Continue

5880-587: The Amish , Mennonites , and Fancy Dutch in the United States, is derived primarily from the Palatine German language which many Mennonite refugees brought to Pennsylvania in the years 1717 to 1732. The only existing Pennsylvania German newspaper, Hiwwe wie Driwwe , was founded 1996 in the village of Ober-Olm , which is located close to Mainz, the state capital (and is published bi-annually as

6020-552: The Bezirksämter : Speyer, Ludwigshafen, Frankenthal, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, and Zweibrücken. They remain separate to this day. Between 1919 and 1923, during the occupation, there were French-backed attempts at separating the Palatinate from Bavaria and the Empire. On 1 June 1919, Eberhard Haaß, founder of the "Free Palatine Association" (1918), proclaimed the "Palatine Republic", but failed to occupy

6160-462: The Diet of Worms . When Luther died in 1546, Pope Leo X's excommunication was still in effect. Luther taught that salvation and, consequently, eternal life are not earned by good deeds; rather, they are received only as the free gift of God's grace through the believer's faith in Jesus Christ , who is the sole redeemer from sin. Luther's theology challenged the authority and office of

6300-503: The Electoral Palatinate and several other territories were part of the Palatinate, but today belong to other German territories. The Palatinate is divided into four non-administrative sub-regions, comprising the following rural districts and independent towns and cities: Like most of Southwestern Germany, the Palatinate’s climate is either humid subtropical in areas below 300 meters or oceanic on higher ground. The average annual temperatures vary from around 11-14 degrees Celsius in

6440-449: The Ephesians 2:8–10 . Against the teaching of his day that the righteous acts of believers are performed in cooperation with God, Luther wrote that Christians receive such righteousness entirely from outside themselves; that righteousness not only comes from Christ but actually is the righteousness of Christ, imputed to Christians (rather than infused into them) through faith. "That is why faith alone makes someone just and fulfills

6580-431: The H. J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , emigrated from Kallstadt , Palatinate, to the United States in 1840. Arguably the most famous dish in Palatinate is the saumagen , literally "sow's stomach", a dish that consists of a thick, crispy-fried casing (sow stomach) stuffed with a mixture of pork, potatoes, and seasonings. Other traditional meat dishes of the region include bratwurst, Palatinate liverwurst,

6720-534: The Messiah . "This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification", he writes, "is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness." Luther came to understand justification as entirely the work of God. This teaching by Luther was clearly expressed in his 1525 publication On the Bondage of the Will , which was written in response to On Free Will by Desiderius Erasmus (1524). Luther based his position on predestination on St. Paul's epistle to

6860-465: The Ninety-five Theses . He had the theses checked for heresy and in December 1517 forwarded them to Rome. He needed the revenue from the indulgences to pay off a papal dispensation for his tenure of more than one bishopric . As Luther later notes, "the pope had a finger in the pie as well, because one half was to go to the building of St. Peter's Church in Rome". Pope Leo X was used to reformers and heretics, and he responded slowly, "with great care as

7000-474: The Oberamt of Lichtenberg, belonged. Listed in the 1480 document was every village in the Oberamt , including Blaubach, which then belonged to the Pfeffelbach Amt or the Diedelkopf Amt ( Unteramt ). The 1480 roll also gives a clue as to Blaubach's population: it listed four families with roughly 20 people. It is likely, though, that there were others who did not appear on the roll because they paid no taxes ( Hintersassen – roughly, “dependent peasants”). Thus,

7140-399: The Pfalz (Palatinate). The historic Electorate of the Palatinate had spanned both sides of the Rhine with Heidelberg and Mannheim as its capitals on the eastern side, whereas the new "Palatinate" established in 1815–16 lay solely on the left bank of the Rhine. It included territories that had never been part of the historical Palatinate (e.g., territories of the former Bishopric of Speyer,

SECTION 50

#1732780349286

7280-431: The Rheinkreis became the focal point of liberal movements. The Hambach Festival , a large gathering near Neustadt an der Weinstraße , proved fertile ground for what came to be considered a milestone in German history. In 1835, King Ludwig I of Bavaria 's romantic outlook gave rise to the adoption of new, historically evocative names for the administrative districts of Bavaria. As such, the Rheinkreis officially became

7420-501: The Roman Catholic Church ; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences . Luther attempted to resolve these differences amicably, first proposing an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in Ninety-five Theses , which he authored in 1517. In 1520, Pope Leo X demanded that Luther renounce all of his writings, and when Luther refused to do so, excommunicated him in January 1521. Later that year, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V condemned Luther as an outlaw at

7560-418: The Smalcald Articles : The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 3:24–25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ( John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all ( Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through

7700-409: The University of Wittenberg . He received two bachelor's degrees, one in biblical studies on 9 March 1508, and another in the Sentences by Peter Lombard in 1509. On 19 October 1512, he was awarded his Doctor of Theology . On 21 October 1512, Luther was received into the senate of the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg , succeeding von Staupitz as chair of theology. He spent

7840-407: The papal bull (edict) Exsurge Domine that he risked excommunication unless he recanted 41 sentences drawn from his writings, including the Ninety-five Theses , within 60 days. That autumn, Eck proclaimed the bull in Meissen and other towns. Von Miltitz attempted to broker a solution, but Luther, who had sent the pope a copy of On the Freedom of a Christian in October, publicly set fire to

7980-512: The "Invocavit Sermons". In these sermons, he hammered home the primacy of core Christian values such as love, patience, charity, and freedom, and reminded the citizens to trust God's word rather than violence to bring about necessary change. Do you know what the Devil thinks when he sees men use violence to propagate the gospel? He sits with folded arms behind the fire of hell and says with malignant looks and frightful grin: "Ah, how wise these madmen are to play my game! Let them go on; I shall reap

8120-453: The 18th century, and particularly during the 19th century, there was a great upswing in the population, and the population figures doubled over 50 years, and then again in another 80. Against this background, though, between 1816 and 1860, at least officially, 67 inhabitants emigrated to the United States. In the last decade of the 20th century, more than 500 people were living in the village. The following table shows population development over

8260-410: The 1950s when the Rothengründerhof was being built. A plot of meadowland near the Rothengründerhof called Gerzenmooch (Götzenbach) might also be a reference to Gallo-Roman settlers, perhaps from the assumption that an idol once stood here near a headwater stream, Götze being a German word that can mean “false god” or “idol”. The lane near Blaubach's municipal area leading from Körborn to Mayweilerhof

8400-478: The Bible into German from Latin made the Bible vastly more accessible to the laity, which had a tremendous impact on both the church and German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language , added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the writing of an English translation, the Tyndale Bible . His hymns influenced the development of singing in Protestant churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora ,

8540-437: The Catholic Church in new ways. He became convinced that the church was corrupt in its ways and had lost sight of what he saw as several of the central truths of Christianity. The most important for Luther was the doctrine of justification —God's act of declaring a sinner righteous—by faith alone through God's grace. He began to teach that salvation or redemption is a gift of God's grace , attainable only through faith in Jesus as

SECTION 60

#1732780349286

8680-471: The German lands on the Rhine 's left bank. Blaubach now belonged to the Mairie (“Mayoralty”) of Kusel and the Canton of Kusel in the Arrondissement of Birkenfeld in the Department of Sarre . In 1816, the Kingdom of Bavaria acquired, under the terms laid out by the Congress of Vienna , the lands on the Rhine's left bank, which were now known as Rheinbaiern (“Rhenish Bavaria”), but later as Bayerische Rheinpfalz (“Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate”). Within

8820-433: The German- French border separates the Palatinate from Alsace . One-third of the region is covered by the Palatinate Forest ( Pfälzerwald ), including the Palatinate Forest Nature Park popular with hikers. With about 1,771 km (684 sq mi), it is Germany's largest contiguous forested area, and is part of the Franco-German Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve . The western and northern part of

8960-414: The Kingdom of Bavaria, Blaubach belonged to the Bürgermeisterei (“Mayoralty”) of Kusel, the Canton of Kusel and the Landkommissariat (later Bezirksamt and Landkreis – district) of Kusel in the Rheinkreis – yet another name for Bavaria's exclave in the Palatinate. In 1871, the municipality received an endowment from a villager who had emigrated to the United States amounting to more than $ 1,000,

9100-399: The Left Bank of the Rhine the former French départements of the Sarre and Mont-Tonnerre, except where set forth in the same treaty, were to fall "with full sovereignty" and ownership rights within the overlordship of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria ( Herrschaft Sr. Maj. des Kaisers von Oesterreich ). Initially, however, joint Austro-Bavarian administration was retained. On 14 April 1816,

9240-416: The New Testament— Joseph knew not his wife till she had brought forth her first-born son ; and he said, in the same way that you say, that this passage enchained him. When the fathers of the Council of Constance condemned this proposition of Jan Hus— The church of Jesus Christ is only the community of the elect , they condemned an error; for the church, like a good mother, embraces within her arms all who bear

9380-454: The Palatinate is densely forested and mountainous. Its highest mountain is the Donnersberg with a height of 687 m (2,254 ft), situated in the North Palatine Uplands near Kirchheimbolanden . Most of the major Palatinate towns ( Ludwigshafen , Speyer , Landau , Frankenthal , Neustadt ) lie in the lower eastern part of the Upper Rhine Plain down to the River Rhine. Here the German Wine Route ( Deutsche Weinstraße ) passes through

9520-400: The Palatinate, to the whole Bavarian kingdom. German historian Heiner Haan described the special status accorded the Palatinate within Bavaria as being one of a Hauptstaat (main state, i.e. Bavaria) with a Nebenstaat (adjacent state, i.e. the Palatinate). In May/June 1849, after the failed revolution of 1848 , and as part of the Imperial Constitution campaign , separatist elements wanted

9660-442: The Palatinate, was occupied by French revolutionary troops . As a result of the Treaty of Campo Formio (1797), the First French Republic annexed the region. In 1798, the French introduced a new administrative system with the establishment of departments. The area of the Palatinate largely became the Département of Mont Tonnerre , laying the cornerstone of its regional identity today. Minor parts of today's region were attached to

9800-428: The Plague year 1574 alone; in the Plague year 1597 it was a further 18. Nevertheless, the village did not die right out, for in the years after 1600, roughly two children were being born every year. Perhaps young families had already come and settled in the village. Later Plague epidemics did not affect Blaubach as badly. In the 1588 description of the Oberamt of Lichtenberg by the Zweibrücken official Johannes Hofmann,

9940-432: The Pope has the Power to Require It rejected compulsory confession and encouraged private confession and absolution , since "every Christian is a confessor." In November, Luther wrote The Judgement of Martin Luther on Monastic Vows . He assured monks and nuns that they could break their vows without sin, because vows were an illegitimate and vain attempt to win salvation. Luther made his pronouncements from Wartburg in

10080-664: The Rhine, and the southern part of the Prussian Rhine Province , to form the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate . The Palatinate formed the administrative district ( Regierungsbezirk ) of the Pfalz. This reorganisation came with smaller losses of former district territory to the Saarland, especially in the area of Sankt Wendel . As part of the 1969 administrative reform, some minor border changes were made in

10220-591: The Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul." Johann von Staupitz , his superior, concluded that Luther needed more work to distract him from excessive introspection and ordered him to pursue an academic career. On 3 April 1507, Jerome Schultz, the Bishop of Brandenburg , ordained Luther in Erfurt Cathedral . The following year, in 1508, Luther began teaching theology at

10360-539: The area belonged to the eastern part of Frankish Austrasia , which—as Rhenish Franconia —became part of East Francia according to the 843 Treaty of Verdun . From the Middle Ages until 1792, the Palatinate was divided into 45 secular and ecclesiastical territories , some of which were very small. The largest and most important of these was the Electorate of the Palatinate ( Kurfürstentum Pfalz ), encompassing

10500-476: The benefit. I delight in it." But when he sees the Word running and contending alone on the battle-field, then he shudders and shakes for fear. The effect of Luther's intervention was immediate. After the sixth sermon, the Wittenberg jurist Jerome Schurf wrote to the elector: "Oh, what joy has Dr. Martin's return spread among us! His words, through divine mercy, are bringing back every day misguided people into

10640-630: The bull and decretals in Wittenberg on 10 December 1520, an act he defended in Why the Pope and his Recent Book are Burned and Assertions Concerning All Articles . Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X on 3 January 1521, in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem . And although the Lutheran World Federation , Methodists and the Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity agreed (in 1999 and 2006, respectively) on

10780-584: The centuries for Blaubach, with some figures broken down by religious denomination: The name is made up of the word Bach (“brook”) with the word blau (“blue”) prefixed onto it: Blaubach ( German pronunciation: [ˈblaʊbax] ). Hence, Blaubach would be the settlement on the blue (clean) brook. Within German-speaking Europe are also found other brooks called the Blaubach, which are distinguished (according to writer Ernst Christmann ) by having especially clear water. The current form of

10920-421: The considerable sum of ten thousand ducats toward the rebuilding of the basilica. Albrecht obtained permission from Pope Leo X to conduct the sale of a special plenary indulgence (i.e., remission of the temporal punishment of sin), half of the proceeds of which Albrecht was to claim to pay the fees of his benefices. On 31 October 1517, Luther wrote to his bishop, Albrecht von Brandenburg, protesting against

11060-539: The context of rapid developments at Wittenberg, of which he was kept fully informed. Andreas Karlstadt, supported by the ex-Augustinian Gabriel Zwilling , embarked on a radical programme of reform there in June 1521, exceeding anything envisaged by Luther. The reforms provoked disturbances, including a revolt by the Augustinian friars against their prior, the smashing of statues and images in churches, and denunciations of

11200-496: The custom of stamping out pretzels . The Pfingstquack , too, is still alive in Blaubach. In this Whitsun custom, children and youths go through the village in a group with a bundle of flowers, calling at houses and demanding donations. Also still alive is the custom of raising the Maypole on the eve of May Day , which is also, of course, Walpurgis Night , and “ witchcraft ” is keenly practised. Another custom that has been revived

11340-455: The debate was that Matthew 16:18 does not confer on popes the exclusive right to interpret scripture, and that therefore neither popes nor church councils were infallible. For this, Eck branded Luther a new Jan Hus , referring to the Czech reformer and heretic burned at the stake in 1415. From that moment, he devoted himself to Luther's defeat. On 15 June 1520, the Pope warned Luther with

11480-710: The decision on Luther's sadness over the deaths of two friends. Luther himself seemed saddened by the move. Those who attended a farewell supper walked him to the door of the Black Cloister. "This day you see me, and then, not ever again," he said. His father was furious over what he saw as a waste of Luther's education. Luther dedicated himself to the Augustinian order , devoting himself to fasting , long hours in prayer , pilgrimage , and frequent confession . Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost touch with Christ

11620-590: The district to secede from Bavaria and establish its own " Palatine Republic ". A separatist uprising was suppressed by Prussian military intervention. The Palatinate's union with Bavaria persisted after it became part of the German Empire in 1871, and, indeed, after the Wittelsbach dynasty was deposed, and Bavaria became a free state of the Weimar Republic in 1918. In 1910, the town of Landau

11760-478: The door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517. Scholars Walter Krämer, Götz Trenkler, Gerhard Ritter, and Gerhard Prause contend that the story of the posting on the door, although it has become one of the pillars of history, has little foundation in truth. The story is based on comments made by Luther's collaborator Philip Melanchthon , though it is thought that he was not in Wittenberg at

11900-555: The farmhouses that typify the West Palatinate ( Einfirsthaus – literally a house with one roof ridge). On the road going towards Mayweilerhof, one comes first to the renowned Hotel Reweschnier on the brook's left bank, and then to the Rothengründerhof, an Aussiedlerhof (that is, postwar outlying agricultural settlement) that arose in 1957. The graveyard lies south of the village, on the Blaubach's right bank. In

12040-612: The former French administrative structure, the subdivision of the district into arrondissements, cantons, mayoralties, and municipalities was, in large measure, retained. The Bavarian government also preserved the French legal system (Code Napoléon), giving the Palatinate a distinct legal status within the Bavarian kingdom. At the next lower level, the three former French arrondissements were continued as Kreisdirektion ("Circle", i.e. district, "direction") of Frankenthal, Kaiserslautern, and Zweibrücken. Kreisdirektion Landau was, however,

12180-701: The government building in Speyer. On 23 November 1923, Franz Josef Heinz proclaimed the "Government of the Autonomous Palatinate in the Association of the Rhenish Republic " at Speyer, after gaining control of the towns of Kaiserslautern, Neustadt, and Landau, and after the capitulation of the Palatine government. In the following days, several more towns fell into his group's hands. The Bavarian government reacted sharply. It organised

12320-707: The imperial city of Speyer or Kirchheimbolanden , which had formerly belonged to the Weilburg branch of Nassau ). To avoid confusion of the new Palatinate and the former one (and with the Upper Palatinate ), the name Rhenish Palatinate ( Rheinpfalz ) became common and is still used today, but was never made its official name. Another term, that of Rhenish Bavaria ( Rheinbayern ), though used occasionally, never gained great currency, but can, nonetheless, be found sometimes on older maps. The Bavarian Royal Family tried to encourage Palatine unity with Bavaria by erecting

12460-452: The interest from which was to be paid out to the poor each year. The donation spread some cheer, but because of the formula whereby the money was to be distributed, it was both a boon and a bane, causing considerable disquiet. In the 1933 Reichstag elections , the people of Blaubach voted 70.1% for Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party (NSDAP). In the course of the 1968 administrative restructuring in Rhineland-Palatinate , Blaubach became in 1972

12600-472: The late 19th century, while a pit was being dug for a new building on Matzenberg, workers stumbled on some potsherds , likely from an urn buried more than 2,000 years earlier by the dale's Celtic inhabitants. Further ceramic vessels – grave goods – were found in recent times while a house was being built on Am Äckerchen (a street). These witnesses to early settlers in the dale have also been joined by further potsherds from Roman times, which were unearthed in

12740-610: The law," he writes. "Faith is that which brings the Holy Spirit through the merits of Christ." Faith, for Luther, was a gift from God; the experience of being justified by faith was "as though I had been born again." His entry into Paradise, no less, was a discovery about "the righteousness of God"—a discovery that "the just person" of whom the Bible speaks (as in Romans 1:17) lives by faith. He explains his concept of "justification" in

12880-530: The local SPD Association. In Blaubach, much in the way of old customs has been preserved, and certain people's tireless efforts are to thank for that. The kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the Blaubacher Kerwe , or Reweschnierkerwe ) is held on the second Sunday in August. Along with ceremonial speeches, there is also the long enduring Frühschoppen (roughly “morning pint”) and

13020-491: The magistracy. After secretly visiting Wittenberg in early December 1521, Luther wrote A Sincere Admonition by Martin Luther to All Christians to Guard Against Insurrection and Rebellion . Wittenberg became even more volatile after Christmas when a band of visionary zealots, the so-called Zwickau prophets , arrived, preaching revolutionary doctrines such as the equality of man, adult baptism , and Christ's imminent return. When

13160-595: The more dramatic form of words." Over the next five days, private conferences were held to determine Luther's fate. The emperor presented the final draft of the Edict of Worms on 25 May 1521, declaring Luther an outlaw , banning his literature, and requiring his arrest: "We want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic." It also made it a crime for anyone in Germany to give Luther food or shelter. It permitted anyone to kill Luther without legal consequence. Luther's disappearance during his return to Wittenberg

13300-420: The mountain slopes (Matzenberg), later spreading, too, to the left bank with extensive new building areas (Am Äckerchen). The old schoolhouse from the 19th century with its gable, belltower and clock on Matzenberg (a street) is held to be a village landmark. This building is today used as a house. A new schoolhouse, now a village community centre, was built between 1958 and 1960. In the older built-up area are found

13440-479: The municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. Blaubach's mayor is Andreas Lutz, and his deputies are Peter Dietrich and Gabriele Jungblut. The German blazon reads: In Blau eine stehende, goldgehörnte und behufte, silberne Ziege. The municipality's arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Azure a goat statant argent attired and unguled Or. As early as 1741,

13580-445: The municipality got a new schoolhouse, although it was only actually used as such for a few years. About 1970, the school was dissolved, and ever since, primary school pupils and Hauptschule students have been attending their respective schools in Kusel. The newer schoolhouse in Blaubach became home in 1971 to the school for the mentally handicapped and a special kindergarten (daycare). Both institutions moved to Kusel in 1983. Today,

13720-579: The murdering of Jews, some historians contend that his rhetoric contributed to the development of antisemitism in Germany and the emergence, centuries later, of the Nazi Party . Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 to Hans Luder (or Ludher, later Luther) and his wife Margarethe (née Lindemann) in Eisleben , County of Mansfeld , in the Holy Roman Empire . Luther was baptized

13860-474: The name appeared at the village's first documentary mention in 1436 in the Remigiusberg Monastery's taxation books. Other forms of the name that have cropped up are Blawbach (1460), Blaibach (1570/1571) and then once again the current form, Blaubach. Dialectally, the village is called Blääbach or Bloobach . Even before the time of the Reformation , the villagers were members of the parish of Kusel. In

14000-512: The name of Christian, all who are called to enjoy the celestial beatitude. Luther refused to recant his writings. He is sometimes also quoted as saying: "Here I stand. I can do no other". Recent scholars consider the evidence for these words to be unreliable since they were inserted before "May God help me" only in later versions of the speech and not recorded in witness accounts of the proceedings. However, Mullett suggests that given his nature, "we are free to believe that Luther would tend to select

14140-700: The neighbouring departments of the Sarre and Bas-Rhin . The French further subdivided the department into cantons, mayoralties and municipalities, and introduced their legal system ( Napoleonic Code ) and the metric system . Following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and the capture of the Left Bank of the Rhine by the Allies in January 1814, the region was, from 2 February 1814, initially under

14280-512: The next morning on the feast day of Martin of Tours . In 1484, his family moved to Mansfeld , where his father was a leaseholder of copper mines and smelters and served as one of four citizen representatives on the local council; in 1492, he was elected as a town councilor. The religious scholar Martin Marty describes Luther's mother as a hard-working woman of "trading-class stock and middling means", contrary to Luther's enemies, who labeled her

14420-724: The north. The Diocese of Speyer and the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate still exist today largely based on the historic boundaries of the old Bavarian district. The Pfalz was initially one of five districts in Rhineland-Palatinate; however, in 1968, the district was merged with the neighbouring district of Rheinhessen to form the district of Rheinhessen-Pfalz . On 1 January 2000, all administrative districts of Rheinland-Pfalz were dissolved. Many Pennsylvania Dutchmen are descendants of Palatine immigrants. The Pennsylvania Dutch language , spoken by

14560-480: The one hand, Blaubach's proximity to the town of Kusel allows the villagers to attend many concerts and plays. On the other, the village's own clubs distinguish themselves in various forms of creativity. Foremost among these is the Blaubacher Dorftheater with its productions by the amateur players, once guided by the late Franz Dietrich, who himself wrote a few plays for the troupe. Blaubach has made

14700-460: The pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood . Those who identify Luther's wider teachings are called Lutherans, though Luther opposed the name, believing that those who professed faith in Christ should be called "Christian" or "Evangelic". Luther's translation of

14840-547: The pope: "His Holiness abuses Scripture", retorted Luther. "I deny that he is above Scripture". Cajetan's original instructions had been to arrest Luther if he failed to recant, but the legate desisted from doing so. With help from the Carmelite friar Christoph Langenmantel , Luther slipped out of the city at night, unbeknownst to Cajetan. In January 1519, at Altenburg in Saxony, the papal nuncio Karl von Miltitz adopted

14980-476: The population might have numbered as high as 40. In the 16th century, as a result of Martin Luther 's Reformation , a new order in religious life came about for the whole Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken , and thereby also for the small village of Blaubach. Worth noting in this era is the rise of fearsome sicknesses, above all, the Plague . In Blaubach, which had so few inhabitants to begin with, 22 persons died in

15120-460: The prevailing Bavarian administrative structure, the region became one of eight Bavarian districts ( Kreise ). From 1808, Bavaria embarked on the administrative reorganisation of its territory, creating districts which, as in France, were named after the main local rivers. Thus, the new district along the Rhine was given the name Rheinkreis (i.e. the Rhine district), with Speyer as its capital. Of

15260-442: The prince-electors once more allowed all denominations, although for Blaubach, the effect was quite little. In 1961, still only 3% of the inhabitants professed Catholicism , while almost 6% had left the church or gave no religion. Today all inhabitants adhering to any of the major denominations belong to the corresponding parishes in the town of Kusel. The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by majority vote at

15400-735: The provisional authority of the General Government of the Middle Rhine . However, from 16 June of the same year, it was placed under the administration of the Imperial-Royal ("k.k.") Austrian and Royal Bavarian Joint Land Administration Commission ( k. k. östreichischen und k. bairischen gemeinschaftliche Landes-Administrations-Kommission ). In the main treaty agreed at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and dated 9 June 1815, Article 51 stated ( inter alia ) that on

15540-452: The record. One legend, however, says that the farmers in Blaubach, which lay just across the river from Kusel, wrung all their cocks’ necks so that the Croats would take no notice of the village. Whether or not the people of Blaubach momentarily met with any success in doing this, on the whole, only the odd person in the villages around Kusel survived the onslaught. In the Kusel church book in

15680-517: The redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23–25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law, or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us ... Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls ( Mark 13:31). In 1516, Johann Tetzel ,

15820-517: The reorganisation of German states during the Allied occupation of Germany after World War II . While Bavaria itself was part of the U.S. occupation zone, the Palatinate was occupied by French forces. The French reorganised their occupation zone by founding new states, so that in 1947 the Palatinate was combined with Rhenish Hesse ( Rheinhessen ), the former parts of the People's State of Hesse west of

15960-500: The rest of his career in this position at the University of Wittenberg. In 1515, he was made provincial vicar of Saxony and Thuringia , which required him to visit and oversee eleven monasteries in his province. From 1510 to 1520, Luther lectured on the Psalms, and on the books of Hebrews, Romans, and Galatians. As he studied these portions of the Bible, he came to view the use of terms such as penance and righteousness by

16100-555: The sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences", which came to be known as the Ninety-five Theses . Hans Hillerbrand writes that Luther had no intention of confronting the church but saw his disputation as a scholarly objection to church practices, and the tone of the writing is accordingly "searching, rather than doctrinaire." Hillerbrand writes that there

16240-412: The soul from purgatory (also attested as 'into heaven') springs." He insisted that, since forgiveness was God's alone to grant, those who claimed that indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation were in error. Christians, he said, must not slacken in following Christ on account of such false assurances. According to one account, Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to

16380-410: The south on the town of Kusel and in the west on the municipality of Körborn . Also belonging to Blaubach are the outlying homesteads of Hotel Reweschnier and Rothengründerhof. The old village core near where the Röhrbach empties into the Blaubach spread out considerably, bit by bit, first up the dale through which the Röhrbach flows, also up the Blaubach's right bank, and then downstream as well to

16520-525: The status quo and guaranteed that the Palatinate would remain a part of Bavaria, thereby putting an end to separatist attempts. Under Nazi rule, from 1933 to 1945, the Palatinate officially remained part of Bavaria, but was otherwise totally reorganised—it was merged with the Saarland into the Gau Westmark , with headquarters in Saarbrücken . The union with Bavaria was finally dissolved following

16660-533: The time of the Reformation came a general conversion to Martin Luther 's teachings, at the behest of the Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and in line with the precept of cuius regio, eius religio . In 1588, Count Palatine (Duke) Johannes I decreed yet another conversion, this time to John Calvin 's Reformed teachings. With the greater freedom of movement that came after the Thirty Years' War ,

16800-529: The time. According to Roland Bainton , on the other hand, it is true. The Latin Theses were printed in several locations in Germany in 1517. In January 1518 friends of Luther translated the Ninety-five Theses from Latin into German. Within two weeks, copies of the theses had spread throughout Germany. Luther's writings circulated widely, reaching France , England , and Italy as early as 1519. Students thronged to Wittenberg to hear Luther speak. He published

16940-545: The town council asked Luther to return, he decided it was his duty to act. Luther secretly returned to Wittenberg on 6 March 1522. He wrote to the Elector: "During my absence, Satan has entered my sheepfold, and committed ravages which I cannot repair by writing, but only by my personal presence and living word." For eight days in Lent , beginning on Invocavit Sunday, 9 March, Luther preached eight sermons, which became known as

17080-496: The use of reason but none about loving God , which Luther believed was more important. Reason could not lead men to God, Luther felt, and he thereafter developed a love-hate relationship with Aristotle over Aristotle's emphasis on reason. For Luther, reason could be used to question men and institutions, but not God. Human beings could learn about God only through divine revelation , he believed, leading him to view scripture as increasingly important. On 2 July 1505, while Luther

17220-601: The valleys and 8-10 degrees in the highlands. Wet air from the prevailing westerly and southwesterly winds leads to precipitation in the Mittelgebirge ranges, while it warms up on its way further down to the Rhine Valley; giving the valleys a considerably drier climate than the surrounding Palatine Forest . During the Holy Roman Empire prior to World War II , it was also referred to as Rhenish Bavaria and Lower Palatinate ( Unterpfalz ), which designated only

17360-413: The village itself or nearby. Only 20% of the then 260 inhabitants were held to be members of the workforce. In 1937, the number of workers still earning their livelihoods at farming had fallen to 40%. Wage-dependent people made up 55% of the workforce, of whom just under 5% had to go more than 30 km to their jobs. Self-employed workers numbered 5%. At that time, of 326 inhabitants, a good 30% practised

17500-490: The war's later years and after the war, hitherto unknown names cropped up – newcomers. It can be concluded from the names appearing in the church book that members of only two families in Blaubach survived the war. These newcomers revived the village, although King Louis XIV's wars of conquest brought further death and destruction. Blaubach was among those villages described in 1675 as verbrannt – “burnt up”. Nonetheless, that same year, 40 inhabitants were counted. According to

17640-732: The west, historically also comprising the state's Saarpfalz District. In the northwest, the Hunsrück mountain range forms the border with the Rhineland region. The eastern border with Hesse and the Baden region runs along the Upper Rhine river, while the left bank, with Mainz and Worms as well as the Selz basin around Alzey , belong to the Rhenish Hesse region. In the south,

17780-593: The western part of the Electorate of the Palatinate ( Kurfürstentum Pfalz ), as opposed to the Upper Palatinate ( Oberpfalz ). Formerly a Celtic region, this area was conquered by the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus in about 12 BCE; thereafter, it was part of the province of Germania Superior . During the decline of the Empire, Alamannic tribes settled here; their territory was conquered by Francia under King Clovis I about 496. From 511 onwards,

17920-563: The “new school” serves as the village community centre. The most famous person associated with Blaubach has been the national-level footballer Miroslav Klose (b. 9 June 1978). Although born in Poland (as Mirosław Marian Kloze), he plays in Germany, and in his youth played for SG Blaubach-Diedelkopf. Franz Dietrich (b. 29 November 1935 in Wolfstein , d. 19 January 2009 in Blaubach) was

18060-526: Was enfeoffed with these estates, which they ruled until 1918, together with the collateral branch of Palatine Zweibrücken from 1410. Needing stronger protection, they lost control with the reunification with Bavaria under Elector Charles Theodore in 1777. The major ecclesiastical territory in the region was the Bishopric of Speyer . The Imperial city of Landau joined the Alsatian Décapole in 1521 to preserve its status. Nevertheless, it

18200-404: Was Andreas Braun, who in 1793 mentioned that he had taught in Blaubach for 22 years. Even into the 1920s, the village school board sat each month, assessing individual absences and punishing breaches. Indeed, children often skipped school, because they had to help at home on the farm. A schoolhouse in Blaubach itself was built only in the 19th century, the old schoolhouse on Matzenberg. In the 1960s,

18340-551: Was a German priest, theologian , author, hymnwriter , professor, and Augustinian friar . Luther was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation , and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism . He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history . Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of

18480-648: Was also a school in Blaubach. Before, school had been available in Kusel , although likely little use was made of it. About schooling in Blaubach during the 18th century, Kramer made the following brief notes: “For a while, the municipality had winter school (a school geared towards an agricultural community's practical needs, held in the winter, when farm families had a bit more time to spare) teachers. In 1745, Valentin Rüppel came here. In 1785, Johann Nickel Neu, 33 years old, worked in his home village. In 1792, Keiper taught 27 schoolchildren.” Another schoolteacher from that time

18620-650: Was also active in local politics, and for some years, he was Blaubach's mayor. Palatinate (region) The Palatinate ( German : Pfalz ; Palatine German : Palz ), or the Rhenish Palatinate ( Rheinpfalz ), is a historical region of Germany . The Palatinate occupies most of the southern quarter of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate ( Rheinland-Pfalz ), covering an area of 2,105 square miles (5,450 km ) with about 1.4 million inhabitants. Its residents are known as Palatines ( Pfälzer ). The Palatinate borders Saarland in

18760-543: Was an uncertain profession. Luther instead sought assurances about life and was drawn to theology and philosophy, expressing interest in Aristotle , William of Ockham , and Gabriel Biel . He was deeply influenced by two tutors, Bartholomaeus Arnoldi von Usingen and Jodocus Trutfetter, who taught him to be suspicious of even the greatest thinkers and to test everything himself by experience. Philosophy proved to be unsatisfying to Luther because it offered assurance about

18900-710: Was declared independent of the Bezirksamt . After World War I , French troops occupied the Palatinate under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles . In 1920, the western Bezirksämter of Sankt Ingbert and Homburg ( Saarpfalz ) were separated from the Bavarian Palatinate, and became part of the newly established Saarland , which, according to the peace treaty, was governed by the League of Nations . That same year, seven more towns were declared independent of

19040-405: Was held. Over a three-day period in October 1518 where he stayed at St. Anne's Priory , Luther defended himself under questioning by papal legate Cardinal Cajetan . The pope's right to issue indulgences was at the centre of the dispute between the two men. The hearings degenerated into a shouting match. More than writing his theses, Luther's confrontation with the church cast him as an enemy of

19180-416: Was planned. Frederick III had him intercepted on his way home in the forest near Wittenberg by masked horsemen impersonating highway robbers. They escorted Luther to the security of the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach . During his stay at Wartburg, which he referred to as "my Patmos ", Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German and poured out doctrinal and polemical writings. These included

19320-468: Was returning to university on horseback following a trip home, a lightning bolt struck near him during a thunderstorm. He later told his father that he was terrified of death and divine judgment, and he cried out, "Help! Saint Anna , I will become a monk!" He came to view his cry for help as a vow that he could never break. He withdrew from the university, sold his books, and entered St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt on 17 July 1505. One friend blamed

19460-418: Was seized by France after the Thirty Years' War . Other larger regional entities included the Duchy of Zweibrücken and the Prince-Bishopric of Speyer . The Prince-Bishopric held possessions on both sides of the Rhine. For centuries, the Electoral Palatinate and Bavaria maintained dynastic links because both were ruled by members of the Wittelsbach family. In 1794, the Left Bank of the Rhine , including

19600-432: Was their author but requested time to think about the answer to the second question. He prayed, consulted friends, and gave his response the next day: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience

#285714