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148-563: Luther did not translate the entire Bible by himself; he relied on a team of translators and helpers that included Philip Melanchthon , a scholar of Koine Greek who motivated and assisted Luther's New Testament translation from Greek, and Matthäus Aurogallus , a linguist and scholar of Hebrew. One of the textual bases of the New Testament translation was the Latin and Greek versions, and its philological annotations, recently published by

296-664: A veiling of the dispute. Melanchthon's relationship with Luther was not changed by his mediation work, although for a time Luther suspected that Melanchthon was "almost of the opinion of Zwingli". During his time in Tübingen in 1536 Melanchthon was heavily criticised by Cordatus , preacher in Niemeck , as he had taught that works are necessary for salvation. In the second edition of his Loci (1535), he abandoned his earlier strict doctrine of determinism and instead taught what he called Synergism . He repudiated Cordatus' criticism in

444-543: A "place of pilgrimage for the Reformation". With the Luther Decade starting in 2008, the city began preparing for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which took place in 2017. Numerous buildings have been restored, the infrastructure has been partially renewed and numerous new attractions have been created in the city (e.g. the new Lutherstadt Wittenberg Hauptbahnhof , Arsenal shopping centre, Luthergarden or

592-658: A Jewish Masoretic Text of Soncino , the Vulgate of Jerome , the Septuagint, and, later, Latin versions by Santes Pagnino and by Sebastian Münster . The 1534 edition issued by the Hans Lufft press in Wittenberg included 117 original woodcuts. This reflected the recent trend (since 1522) of including artwork to reinforce the textual message. According to Biblical historian W. Gordon Campbell, Lufft's printing of

740-516: A custom common among humanists of the time and change his surname from "Schwartzerdt" (literally 'black earth'), into the Greek equivalent "Melanchthon" ( Μελάγχθων ). Philipp was 11 years old in 1508 when both his grandfather (d. 17 October) and father (d. 27 October) died within eleven days of each other. He and a brother were brought to Pforzheim to live with his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Reuter, sister of Reuchlin. The next year he entered

888-531: A deep religious interest in the Reformation. While Luther scattered the sparks among the people, Melanchthon had the sympathy of educated people and scholars. Both Luther's strength of faith and Melanchthon's calmness, temperance and love of peace, had a share in the success of the movement. Both were aware of their mutual position and they thought of it as a “divine necessity”. Melanchthon wrote in 1520, "I would rather die than be separated from Luther", whom he also compared to Elijah , and called him "the man full of

1036-672: A different reputation." His views on some of these books changed in later years, and became more positive. Luther chose to place the books he considered Biblical apocrypha between the Old and New Testaments. These books and addenda to Biblical canon of the Old Testament are found in the ancient Greek Septuagint but not in the Hebrew Masoretic text . Luther left the translating of them largely to Philipp Melanchthon and Justus Jonas . Though included, they were not numbered in

1184-425: A few days before his death, he had written a note which gave his reasons for not fearing death. On the left hand side of the note were the words, "You will be delivered from sins, and be freed from the acrimony and fury of theologians"; on the right, "You will go to the light, see God, look upon his Son, learn those wonderful mysteries which you have not been able to understand in this life." The immediate cause of death

1332-529: A free phrase-by-phrase or dynamic equivalence translation approach and made use of some of Erasmus ' Greek and annotations in his Novum Testamentum omne . However, at least some of Luther's passages can be explained as translations from the Vulgate . The Zürich Bible was released in stages from 1525 to 1530, made by Zwingli and Leo Jud . It was a High Alemannic ( Swiss German ) revision of Luther's New Testament altered in word order and vocabulary, with

1480-605: A lack of knowledge, such as in Psalms 104 where he mistranslated chamois as "rabbit" because he did not know what a chamois was. Initially Luther had a low view of the Old Testament book of Esther and of the New Testament books of Hebrews , James , Jude , and the Revelation of John . He called the Letter of James "an epistle of straw", finding little in it that pointed to Christ and his saving work. He also had harsh words for

1628-542: A large black round overprint covering his face. At the end of the war, Soviet forces occupied Wittenberg; it became part of East Germany in 1949. During the East German period, it formed part of Halle District . By means of the peaceful revolution in 1989, the communist régime dissolved and the town has been governed democratically since 1990. Wittenberg is currently characterized by renovation and new construction work, an economic recovery and tourism development as

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1776-825: A letter to Luther and his other colleagues, stating that he had never departed from their common teachings on this subject and in the Antinomian Controversy of 1537 Melanchthon was in harmony with Luther. Melanchthon faced controversies over the Interims and the Adiaphora (1547). He rejected the Augsburg Interim , which the emperor wished to impose. During negotiations concerning the Leipzig Interim he made controversial concessions. In agreeing to various Catholic usages, Melanchthon held

1924-426: A little German, studied it with the greatest avidity as the fountain of all truth. Some committed it to memory, and carried it about in their bosom. In a few months such people deemed themselves so learned that they were not ashamed to dispute about faith and the gospel not only with Catholic laymen, but even with priests and monks and doctors of divinity." Luther's German Bible and its widespread circulation facilitated

2072-522: A long tradition of cultural events. The Central German State Theatre ( Mitteldeutsches Landestheater ) reached great importance in GDR times. Since 1996, the town has staged open-air theatre shows based on the Lutheran history still alive in many historical places of the ancient town. As highlights, in 2001 and 2005, Fernando Scarpa became the artistic director of the "Bühne Wittenberg" (Stage Wittenberg),

2220-420: A master's degree in 1516, he began to study theology. Under the influence of Reuchlin, Erasmus , and others, he became convinced that true Christianity was something different from the scholastic theology taught at the university. He became a conventor (repentant) in the contubernium and instructed younger scholars. He also lectured on oratory, on Virgil and Livy . His first publications included

2368-505: A new Old Testament: the books of the prophets were derived from the 1527 translation of the Anabaptists Ludwig Haetzer and Hans Denck . The publication of the complete Zwinglibibel pre-dates the complete Lutherbibel by four years. A Catholic revision of Luther's New Testament was issued in 1526 by Hieronymus Emser , and in 1534 Johann Dietenberger released a complete Bible based on Emser's New Testament and

2516-763: A new doctrine of Christianity; one where faith in God was more important than good deeds. Loci communes contributed to the gradual rise of the Lutheran scholastic tradition, and the later theologians Martin Chemnitz , Mathias Haffenreffer , and Leonhard Hutter expanded upon it. Melanchthon continued to lecture on the classics. On a journey in 1524 to his native town, he encountered the papal legate , Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio , who tried to draw him from Luther's cause. In his Unterricht der Visitatorn an die Pfarherrn im Kurfürstentum zu Sachssen (1528) Melanchthon presented

2664-452: A number of causes of justification-including works. This addition caused a furor. Catholics pointed out that the NT nowhere taught "justification by faith alone"; indeed, the Letter of James explicitly condemned the idea. Luther responded by making the point that his slogan encapsulated neatly the substance of the NT even if it did not use precisely its original words. And as for the letter of James,

2812-558: A number of poems in a collection edited by Jakob Wimpfeling ( c.  1511 ), the preface to Reuchlin's Epistolae clarorum virorum (1514), an edition of Terence (1516), and a book of Greek grammar (1518). Already recognised as a reformer, he was opposed at Tübingen. He accepted a call to the University of Wittenberg from Martin Luther on the recommendation of his great-uncle, and became professor of Greek there in 1518 at

2960-742: A philologically clean translation of the Bible. Luther did not know ancient Greek well, and when he referenced the Greek New Testament, he relied on his friend Melanchthon and a number of other philologists. Significant changes correcting Luther's translations were made in the 2017 version of the Luther Bible. Luther also added German legal terminology which is not found in the original text, for example Denkzettel in Matthew 23:5. There were also many understandable mistranslations due to

3108-463: A population of 46,008 (2018). Wittenberg is famous for its close connection with Dr. Martin Luther (1483–1546) and the 16th century religious / theological movement of Protestantism begun here in the Reformation and the large branch of Western Christianity started here of Evangelical Lutheranism , for which it received the honorific title Lutherstadt and has been called the "cradle of

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3256-468: A project for theatre, art and culture in the whole of Germany which attracts many visitors to the town and whose success is known European-wide. On 2002 and 2003 Stefano Vagnini , Italian composer and organist created the music for Thesys and Luther Stories . Prince Hamlet is said to have studied in Wittenberg and it was the supposed home of Dr. Faustus . Wittenberg is the seat of the Leucorea which

3404-603: A special class of priests, but rather in the whole congregation, to be represented therefore not only by ecclesiastics, but also by laymen. In advocating church union he did not overlook differences in doctrine for the sake of common practical tasks. The older he grew, the less he distinguished between the Gospel as the announcement of the will of God, and right doctrine as the human knowledge of it. He took pains to safeguard unity in doctrine by theological formulas of union, but these were made as broad as possible and were restricted to

3552-406: A spectator. If we fall, Christ will likewise fall; and if he fall, I would rather fall with Christ than stand with the emperor. As a reformer, Melanchthon's work was characterized by moderation, conscientiousness, caution, and love of peace; however these qualities were sometimes said to only be lack of decision, consistence, and courage. His main priority was for the welfare of the community and for

3700-408: A study on Luke 2:52, and discussed Mary's faith. He noted that "she kept all things in her heart" which to him was a call to the church to follow her example. He believed that Mary was negligent when she lost her son in the temple, but she did not sin. He also believed that Mary was conceived with original sin like every other human being, but she was spared the consequences of it. As such, he opposed

3848-473: A theologian and professor of Greek starting a decade later in 1518. On 31 October 1517, according to legend, Luther nailed his "95 Theses" against the selling of indulgences to the huge wooden double-doors front entrance (which longtime served as an informal bulletin board for the parish and local academic community) of the All Saints' Church / Castle Church – an event taken as marking the beginning of

3996-559: Is also the headquarters of the eco-friendly web search engine Ecosia . Tourism plays a major role. Wittenberg is one of the top destinations in Saxony-Anhalt. Lutherstadt Wittenberg station is the main railway station. It connects Wittenberg hourly with Berlin to the north and Leipzig and Halle (Saale) to the south. The station was rebuilt to be more environmentally friendly and re-opened in December 2016. Wittenberg has

4144-418: Is believed to be the town's oldest town seal, which the council used, and which dated from the first half of the 14th century, set the pattern with its elements for various civic coats of arms down to the present day. The coat of arms symbolizes, with its crenelated wall and the towers within and each side, a town that was already strongly fortified by 1409. The two shields in the centre form the coat of arms of

4292-644: Is home to numerous historical sites, as well as portraits and other paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger . On the doors of All Saints' Church, the Schlosskirche ("castle church", built in 1496–1506) Martin Luther is said to have nailed his 95 theses in 1517. It was seriously damaged by fire in 1760 during a bombardment by the French during the Seven Years' War , was practically rebuilt, and

4440-556: Is justified without the help of the works of the law, alone through faith". The word "alone" does not appear in the Greek texts , but Luther defended his translation by maintaining that the adverb "alone" was required both by idiomatic German and the apostle Paul's intended meaning according to his interpretation, and that sola had been used in Western theological tradition before him. Many Protestant and Catholic scholars have noted

4588-577: Is part of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt. Not only the men of the Reformation era Martin Luther , Philipp Melanchthon and Lucas Cranach left their mark on Wittenberg. Much more than in its role as the capital of Kursachsen and as the residential town of Saxony-Wittenberg , the city was shaped by what was probably the most important university in Central Europe at

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4736-564: The Deutsche Evangelische Kirchenkonferenz (EKD, German Protestant Church Conference) decided to prepare a revision of the Luther Bible. Linguistic modernisation was avoided. The explicit aim was to produce a standardised text in which obviously incorrect passages were carefully corrected. The editing lasted until 1892, when the edition was confirmed by the EKD and published by the Bible societies. Shortly after

4884-707: The Augsburg Confession was presented at the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, and would come to be considered perhaps the most significant document of the Protestant Reformation . While the confession was based on Luther's Marburg and Schwabach articles, it was mainly the work of Melanchthon; although it was commonly thought of as a unified statement of doctrine by the two reformers, Luther did not conceal his dissatisfaction with its irenic tone. Indeed, some would criticize Melanchthon's conduct at

5032-773: The Textus Receptus ) and annotations. After leaving the castle, he revised passages obscure to him with the assistance of Greek specialist Phillip Melanchthon . Like Erasmus, Luther had learned some Greek at the Latin schools led by the Brethren of the Common Life (Erasmus in Deventer , the Netherlands; and Luther in Magdeburg , Germany). These lay brothers had added Greek as a new subject to their curriculum in

5180-532: The 95 Theses , the first part of the Luther Bible, Luther's Table Talks, and numerous woodcuts were printed here. After the reconstruction of the Cranach courtyards, a historic print shop was re-established in Schlossstrasse, where texts (e.g. Luther's table speeches) and illustrations (in linocut) are now produced as privately printed matter using the letterpress process. The historical Gutenberg press in

5328-690: The Confessio Saxonica , a repetition of the Augsburg Confession, discussing in greater detail the points of controversy with Rome. On his way to Trent at Dresden in March 1552, he saw the military preparations of Maurice of Saxony , and after reaching Nuremberg , he returned to Wittenberg, as Maurice had turned against the emperor. After his return, the condition of the Protestants became more favourable and were still more so at

5476-590: The Congress of Vienna , in the capital of Vienna , Austria, Wittenberg and Saxony was transferred to became part of the Kingdom of Prussia mostly further to the north and east, and administered within the Province of Saxony . Wittenberg continued to be a fortress and military post of the third class during the rest of the 19th century with the reorganisation of German defences until later dismantled two years after

5624-665: The Cranachhof at Markt 4 demonstrates how printing was done in the Middle Ages. Wittenberg Castle is the former residence of the Saxon Electors . After being destroyed in 1760 and 1814, it was used as a barracks as part of the defensive fortifications. Since the First World War , the castle has served civilian purposes. Wittenberg's civic coat of arms conveys with its various heraldic elements something of

5772-552: The Elbe River was built between 1487 and 1490 and the castle church (the Schlosskirche in German) was erected between 1496 and 1506. The Elector's palace was rebuilt at the same time. In 1502 , Elector Frederick founded the University of Wittenberg , which attracted some writers such as Dr. Martin Luther (1483–1546), —a professor of theology beginning in 1508—and Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560)—a friend and disciple along with

5920-756: The Epistle to the Romans , together with his investigations into Pauline doctrine, he was granted the degree of bachelor of theology , and transferred to the theological faculty. He married Katharina Krapp (Katharina Melanchthon), (1497–1557) daughter of Wittenberg's mayor , on 25 November 1520. They had four children: Anna , Philipp, Georg, and Magdalen. In the beginning of 1521, Melanchthon defended Luther in his Didymi Faventini versus Thomam Placentinum pro M. Luthero oratio (Wittenberg, n.d.). He argued that Luther rejected only papal and ecclesiastical practises which were at variance with Scripture. But while Luther

6068-667: The Evangelical Lutheran seminal theological document of the Augsburg Confession of 1530. The buildings associated with those two figures were added to the UNESCO ( United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ) designated World Heritage list in 1996, along with other sites in nearby Eisleben , because of their religious significance and testimony to one of the most influential religious, political and social movements of world history from

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6216-709: The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. That important Central Europe conflict resulting in the organization and proclamation of the German Empire in 1871, which endured under the rule of the German Emperor from the House of Hohenzollern in Berlin until the First World War A prisoner-of-war camp outside of town from 1914 to 1918 was built and set up. A 10 + 1 ⁄ 2 -acre (4.2 ha) camp

6364-489: The Gnesio-Lutherans led by Matthias Flacius accused him and his followers of heresy and apostasy . Melanchthon bore the accusations with patience, dignity, and self-control. In his controversy on justification with Andreas Osiander Melanchthon satisfied all parties. He took part also in a controversy with Stancaro , who held that Christ was our justification only according to his human nature. In 1552

6512-653: The Habsburg monarchy of the Austrian Empire bombarded the Kingdom of Prussia 's Royal Prussian Army , which occupied the town. Warfare again touched Wittenberg by the First French Empire of neighboring France far to the west, took control in 1806, during the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) and Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), (Emperor Napoleon I commanded the refortification of around

6660-463: The Holy Ghost ". In spite of the strained relations between them in the last years of Luther's life, Melanchthon said at Luther's death, "Dead is the horseman and chariot of Israel who ruled the church in this last age of the world!" In the preface to Melanchthon's Kolosserkommentar (1529), Luther wrote, "I had to fight with rabble and devils , for which reason my books are very warlike. I am

6808-593: The Holy Scriptures in Luther's Bible in their own tongue. The Capitulation of Wittenberg (1547) is the name given to the treaty by which John Frederick the Magnanimous was compelled to resign the electoral dignity and most of his territory to the Albertine branch of the noble House of Wettin . During the 18th century in 1760, during the Seven Years' War (1753 / 1756–1763, the military forces of

6956-597: The Iron Cross for his part in the epidemic. The award however was controversial and later questioned by the Allies, who won the conflict. The use of dogs to attack P.O.W.'s was mentioned and described in the manuscript text and criticised by the United States Ambassador to Germany in 1913 to 1917, of Ambassador James W. Gerard (1867–1951), in his famous published book of the era and later produced by

7104-758: The Luftwaffe . This war factory was worked by Jews, Russians, Poles, political prisoners and even a few Americans—all prisoners engaging in forced labour , including POW's who were supposed to be exempt from this sort of labor. American and British planes bombed the factory near the end of the war, and in destroying it killed over one thousand of the prisoners and POW's placed by the Germans in this war plant. The 1995 publication of "...und morgen war Krieg!" by Renate Gruber-Lieblich attempts to document this tragic bombing outside Wittenberg. In 1945, Wittenberg issued 19 of its own postage stamps, each depicting Hitler but with

7252-405: The Lutheran Reformation , and influential designer of educational systems. He stands next to Luther and John Calvin as a reformer, theologian, and shaper of Protestantism . He was born Philipp Schwartzerdt on 16 February 1497 at Bretten , where his father Georg Schwarzerdt (1459–1508) was armorer to Philip, Count Palatine of the Rhine . His mother was Barbara Reuter (1476/77-1529). Bretten

7400-671: The Medieval / Middle Ages era in the History of Europe . [REDACTED] Duchy of Saxony 1180–1296 [REDACTED] Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg 1296–1356 [REDACTED]   Electorate of Saxony 1356–1806 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Saxony 1806–1815 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Prussia 1815–1871 [REDACTED]   German Empire 1871–1918 [REDACTED]   Weimar Republic 1918–1933 [REDACTED]   Nazi Germany 1933–1945 [REDACTED] Soviet occupation zone 1945–1949 [REDACTED]   East Germany 1949–1990 [REDACTED]   Germany 1990– present Historical documents first mention

7548-426: The Peace of Augsburg (1555). However Melanchthon's difficulties increased from that time. The last years of his life were embittered by disputes over the Interim and the freshly started controversy on the Lord's Supper. As the statement "good works are necessary for salvation" appeared in the Leipzig Interim, in 1551 its Lutheran opponents attacked Georg Major , Melanchthon's friend and disciple. Melanchthon dropped

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7696-448: The Protestant Reformation and the start of a major branch of Western Christianity of Evangelical Ltheranism (followed by over 70 million believers in the world today). The more radical later Protestant group of the Anabaptist movement also had one of its earliest homes in Wittenberg, when the Zwickau prophets moved there in late 1521 only to be suppressed by upset and angry Luther when he returned from temporary hiding and exile at

7844-434: The Red Army and therefore inaccessible. On the site of the former Franciscan monastery, the city's Central Visitors' Reception was opened in 2014/2015. It includes the event centre Stadthaus, the Historical City Information , the Council Archive and the Tourist and City Information Centre. In the centre of the old town is the generously proportioned market square, where a harmonious ensemble of town houses has grown up over

7992-404: The Seven Years' War , the building was severely damaged and rebuilt with a lower building height. Several building activities in the following period have greatly changed the appearance of the building. At the end of the 19th century, for example, one storey was added and large window openings were broken in on the south side. Between 1945 and 1992, Arsenal Square with the town house was occupied by

8140-456: The University of Heidelberg , where he studied philosophy , rhetoric , astronomy , and astrology , and became known as a scholar of Greek thought. Denied the master's degree in 1512 on the grounds of his youth, he went to Tübingen , where he continued humanistic studies but also worked on jurisprudence , mathematics , and medicine . While there, he was also taught the technical aspects of astrology by Johannes Stöffler . After gaining

8288-439: The reformer Philipp Melanchthon lived and died. It houses an exhibition. In 2013, the house received an extension according to plans by the architects Dietsch & Weber from Halle made of grey brick. Founded in 1502, the University of Leucorea in Collegienstraße was and is not only a teaching institution. For example, the famous personalities of the Reformation Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon spent time here. Over

8436-415: The 13th century. The town house contains significant remains of the medieval building fabric of the former monastery church of the Franciscans , which in turn was used as the burial place of the Ascanians . As early as 1536, the building was converted into a granary by Conrad Theiß and heavily remodelled by adding several levels. The medieval windows were closed and pouring openings were installed. During

8584-399: The Apology had placed side by side the meanings of "to be made just" and "to be accounted just". Melanchthon's increasing fame gave occasion for prestigious invitations to Tübingen (September 1534), France, and England but consideration of the elector caused him to refuse them. In 1540, he produced a revised edition, the Variata , which was signed by John Calvin . The main difference is in

8732-555: The Bible into the vernacular, which was potentially as revolutionary as canon law and the burning of the papal bull. Luther adopted the officially-promoted bureaucratic dialect Saxon Chancery . Some writers claim his translation was guided by how people spoke (presumably in the Upper Saxon dialect), and that Luther's faithfulness to the language spoken by the common people was to produce a work which they could relate to. This led later German writers such as Goethe and Nietzsche to praise Luther's Bible. Moreover, because Luther's Bible

8880-434: The Bible was introduced for sale at the Michaelmas fair in Wittenberg . The work, was printed on 1,824 pages in two volumes with the addition of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha to Luther's 1522 New Testament , and included woodcut illustrations. Revisions were made during and after Luther's lifetime, sometimes with multiple editions in a single year. The 1530 edition is regarded as his most thoroughgoing revision of

9028-518: The Dialogue (1530) of Johannes Oecolampadius had made him doubt the correctness of Luther's doctrine. Zwingli's death and the change of the political situation changed his earlier stance in regard to a union. Bucer did not go so far as to believe with Luther that the true body of Christ in the Lord's Supper is bitten by the teeth, but admitted the offering of the body and blood in the symbols of bread and wine. Melanchthon discussed Bucer's views with Luther's adherent, but Luther himself would not agree to

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9176-436: The Diet as unbecoming of the principle he promoted, implying that faith in the truth of his cause should logically have inspired Melanchthon to a firmer and more dignified posture. Others point out that he had not sought the part of a political leader, suggesting that he seemed to lack the requisite energy and decision for such a role and may simply have been a lackluster judge of human nature. Melanchthon represented Luther at

9324-437: The Duke of Saxony-Wittenberg the honour of Elector. Wittenberg became an Electoral residence. The shield with its crossed swords stands for the office of "Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire" inextricably joined by the Electorate, brought to Wittenberg by Rudolf I . Both coats of arms continued to be used by the Wettins after the Ascanians died out. The flowing water at the foot of the shield symbolizes Wittenberg's location on

9472-441: The Dutch Catholic humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam and called the Novum Testamentum omne (1519). The project absorbed Luther's later years. The publication of Luther's Bible was a decisive moment in the spread of literacy in early modern Germany , promoting the development of non-local forms of language and exposing all speakers to forms of German from outside their own areas. Thanks to the then recently invented printing press ,

9620-405: The Elector of Saxony declared himself ready to send deputies to a council to be convened at Trent , but only under the condition that the Protestants should have a share in the discussions, and that the Pope should not be considered as the presiding officer and judge. This declaration was partly due to advice from Melanchthon. As it was agreed upon to send a confession to Trent, Melanchthon drew up

9768-434: The Electorate of Saxony with the Saxon arms on the right, whose gold and black stripes recall the Ascanian rulers' house colours with the Rautenkranz or crancelin (literally " rue wreath"; see the Saxony article for more) across them symbolizing the town's founder Duke Albrecht II since 1262, when it appeared in his arms. The shield on the left is the Wittenberg district's arms. In 1356, Emperor Charles IV bestowed upon

9916-536: The Evangelical party and drawing up the Frankfurt Recess, which he defended later against attacks. The controversies on the Lord's Supper embittered the last years of his life. The renewal of this dispute was due to the growing acceptance of Calvinistic doctrine and its influence upon Germany. He never agreed with this, and the personal presence and self-impartation of Christ in the Lord's Supper were especially important for him, although he did not definitely state how body and blood are related to this. Although rejecting

10064-416: The German Cicero , as he reformed not only religion but the German language also. Luther's Bible has been hailed as the first German "classic", comparable to the English King James Version of the Bible. German-speaking Protestant writers and poets such as Klopstock, Herder, and Lessing owe stylistic qualities to Luther's vernacular Bible. Luther adapted words to the capacity of the German public and through

10212-460: The German language using a German translation of the Bible. In 2017, on the 500th anniversary of Reformation Day and the posting of the Ninety-five Theses , the fourth official revision of the Luther Bible was published. This is the translation currently in use. Some of the text that had been toned down in previous revisions has, in this revision, been reverted to Luther's stronger formulations. The Apocrypha were extensively revised. The Septuagint,

10360-442: The German language. The German language had developed into so many dialects that German speakers from different regions could barely understand each other. This led Luther to conclude that "I have so far read no book or letter in which the German language is properly handled. Nobody seems to care sufficiently for it; and every preacher thinks he has a right to change it at pleasure and to invent new terms." Scholars preferred to write in

10508-421: The Latin which they all understood. Luther's Bible translation, based primarily on Saxon Chancery language used in royal courts and his native Upper Saxon dialect and enriched with the vocabulary of German poets and chroniclers, was a step on the path to a standardized German language, as Early New High German developed into modern " neuhochdeutsch ." A contemporary of Luther's, Erasmus Alberus , labeled him

10656-407: The Luther Bible, which contained numerous errors, some of which distorted the meaning. In some editions, for example, the "Sintflut" ( Genesis flood narrative ) became the "Sündflut" (Flood of Sins), "Osterfest" ( Easter ) was inadvertently reinterpreted as the "Opferfest" (Feast of Sacrifice) and Luther's now incomprehensible expression "freidig" (courageous, bold) became "freudig" (joyful). In 1863,

10804-583: The Lutheran Reformation and the popular reading of Scripture." These previous translations were coupled to the Latin Vulgate and typically word-for-word or literal translations that were not idiomatic in any German dialect, nor necessarily intended to be. One previous word-for-word translation from 1350, printed by Johann Mentelin in 1466, has been called linguistically clumsy and partially incomprehensible. Luther adopted more of

10952-408: The New Testament. The successive revisions were less constrained by Latin and Greek. Luther's Bible was a bestseller in its time. About 200,000 copies in hundreds of reprinted editions appeared before Luther died in 1546. However, the book remained too expensive for most people; an unbound copy of the complete 1534 Bible cost the equivalent of a month's wages for the average laborer. Instead, the Bible

11100-588: The Panometer). In 2014 Lutherstadt Wittenberg was awarded the honorary title European City of the Reformation by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe . The figures are given for the metropolitan district at the point in time. Up to 1791 the figures are generally estimated, later figures are from census or local authorities. Source: 2012 census. The town Wittenberg consists of Wittenberg proper and

11248-479: The Reformation lay essentially in the fact that he systematized Luther's ideas, defended them in public, and made them the basis of a religious education. These two figures, by complementing each other, could be said to have harmoniously achieved the results of the Reformation. Melanchthon was impelled by Luther to work for the Reformation; his own inclinations would have kept him in academia. Without Luther's influence he could have been "a second Erasmus", although he had

11396-507: The Reformation" and "cradle of Protestantism ". Several of Wittenberg's buildings are associated with the historical / religious events, including a preserved part of the Augustinian monastery of the local community of the world-wide Roman Catholic Order of St. Augustine in which Luther lived, first as a celibate monk and later as property owner with his later wife Katharina von Bora (c. 1499–1552), and family, considered to be

11544-579: The Revelation of John, saying that he could "in no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it". In his translation of the New Testament, Luther moved Hebrews and James out of the usual order, to join Jude and the Revelation at the end, and differentiated these from the other books which he considered "the true and certain chief books of the New Testament. The four which follow have from ancient times had

11692-640: The River Elbe. The fish is a salmon , which as once abundant in the Elbe. The fishermen , like all professions in town, got their own order in 1422, and the fish found its way onto their coat of arms. The town is an important centre of chemical industry with the SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH  [ de ] . The whole area of the industrial park covers more than 220 hectares with more than 1,500 workers. Wittenberg

11840-550: The Wartburg, and the most important and useful work of his whole life, is the translation of the New Testament, by which he brought the teaching and example of Christ and the Apostles to the mind and heart of the Germans in life-like reproduction. It was a republication of the gospel. He made the Bible the people's book in church, school, and house. Luther's translation was "remarkably free for its time" as Luther's translation goal

11988-568: The Younger, who is also buried in the church. St. Mary's Church, the parish church in which Luther often preached, was built in the 14th century, but has been much altered since Luther's time. It contains a painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, representing the Last Supper (with the faces of Luther and other reformers), Baptism and Confession, also a font by Hermann Vischer the Elder (1457). In addition, there are numerous historic paintings in

12136-696: The Zwingli/Jud Old Testament. Johannes Bugenhagen published a Middle Low German version of Luther's New Testament in 1534. While he was sequestered in the Wartburg Castle for ten months (May 4, 1521–March 3, 1522), Luther began to translate the New Testament from Latin and Greek into Saxon German . Luther used Erasmus ' second edition (1519) of the Latin New Testament with Greek (later developed into

12284-515: The age of 21. He studied the Scriptures , especially of Paul , and evangelical doctrine. He attended the disputation of Leipzig (1519) as a spectator, but participated with his own comments. After his views were attacked by Johann Eck , he replied based on the authority of Scripture in his Defensio contra Johannem Eckium (Wittenberg, 1519). Following lectures on the Gospel of Matthew and

12432-469: The beginning Hollywood motion pictures industry as a documentary silent film " My Four Years in Germany ", in 1918. Unlike many other historic German cities during World War II , Wittenberg's town centre was spared destruction during the conflict. The Allies agreed not to bomb Wittenberg, though fighting took place in the town, with bullet pock-marks visible on the statues of Luther and Melanchthon in

12580-443: The bias or methological flaw in Luther's translation (i.e. using idiomacity as a justification for making explicit a proposition that is, at best, implicit in the text) including Anglican apologist Alister McGrath : Luther insisted that Paul's doctrine of "justification by faith" was definitive for Christianity. And to make sure that there was no understandings about this, he added the word "alone" lest anyone see faith as one among

12728-408: The bishops. He did not want, however, a church altogether independent of the state, but rather, in agreement with Luther, he believed it the duty of the secular authorities to protect religion and the church. He looked upon the consistories as ecclesiastical courts which therefore should be composed of spiritual and secular judges, as he believed that the official authority of the church did not lie in

12876-741: The building houses the Reformation History Museum with its collections of pictures, writings and contemporary exhibits from the Reformation era. During the renovation of the Luther House, its medieval charm was partially lost. The architectural style of the Melanchthon House in Collegienstraße, which expresses the self-confident modernity of the Renaissance , is an architectural sight. In this house

13024-704: The centuries. On it are the Renaissance town hall, the monuments to Martin Luther (designed by Schadow ) and Philipp Melanchthon (by Drake ), as well as the Marktbrunnen . Since the town administration has been located in the former Tauentzien barracks in Lutherstraße beginning in 2000 (New Town Hall), the town hall on the market square has been called the Old Town Hall and has since served more representative purposes. The Cranach Courts attest to

13172-527: The church. The ancient electoral palace is another of the buildings that suffered severely in 1760; it now contains archives. Martin Luther's home, the Lutherhaus , where he studied and lived both before and after the Reformation, is now a museum containing many artifacts from his life. Melanchthon's house and the house of Lucas Cranach the Elder, mayor of Wittenberg, can also be found here. Statues of Luther (by Schadow), Melanchthon and Bugenhagen embellish

13320-552: The church. The church on Mauerstraße was consecrated in 1872 by Bishop Konrad Martin . It was renovated in 1999/2000. Christ Church was built as another church in 1907/1908 in the suburb of Kleinwittenberg in historicist forms. The representative showcase building Augusteum was once an extension of the University of Wittenberg "Leucorea". In the inner courtyard of the Augusteum is the former home of Martin Luther . Today,

13468-592: The church." He stood toward the history of the church in an attitude of piety and reverence that made it much more difficult for him than for Luther to be content with the thought of the impossibility of a reconciliation with the Catholic Church. He laid stress upon the authority of the Church Fathers , not only of Augustine , but also of the Greek Fathers . His attitude in matters of worship

13616-459: The conception of the true visible church as it may be found among the Protestants. He believed that the relation of the church to God was that the church held the divine office of the ministry of the Gospel. The universal priesthood was for Melanchthon as for Luther no principle of an ecclesiastical constitution, but a purely religious principle. In accordance with this idea he tried to keep the traditional church constitution and government, including

13764-610: The conference, as Luther was barred from attending. Charles V had called the Diet of Augsburg in order to unite religious groups in the face of a potential war with the Ottoman Empire. However, despite all efforts and attempts at compromise, there was no reconciliation between Catholics and Lutherans. After the confession was discussed and official response, the Pontifical Confutation of the Augsburg Confession

13912-549: The cross, in order to become Christ-like. In lecturing on the Librorum de judiciis astrologicis of Ptolemy in 1535–1536, Melanchthon expressed to students his interest in Greek mathematics , astronomy and astrology . He considered that a purposeful God had reasons to exhibit comets and eclipses . He was the first to print a paraphrased edition of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos in Basel, 1554. Natural philosophy , in his view,

14060-483: The disputed word "alone" ( So halten wir nun dafür, dass der Mensch gerecht wird ohne des Gesetzes Werke, allein durch den Glauben ), the footnote gives a "literal" translation ( Wörtlich: »dass der Mensch aus Glauben gerechtfertigt wird, ohne Werke des Gesetzes« ) for the second half of the verse. Another controversial translation in the 1522 New Testament is 1 Timothy 2:4, which translates that God wills that all men "be helped" ( German : geholfen werden ) rather than

14208-494: The edges of town in 1813. The following year in 1814, the Royal Prussian Army under Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzien had returned now a half-century later, this time storming the outskirts of Wittenberg; he received the title of "von Wittenberg" as a battle reward. Following the fall and exile of Napoleon in 1814 and 1815, and as a result of the negotiations at the ensuing major European peace conference at

14356-713: The emergence of a standard, modern German language for the German-speaking people throughout the Holy Roman Empire , an empire extending through and beyond present-day Germany. It is also considered a landmark in German literature , with Luther's vernacular style often praised by modern German sources for the forceful vigor ( "kraftvolles Deutsch" ) with which he translated the Holy Scripture. The spread of Luther's Bible translation had implications for

14504-418: The entire Bible into German was published in a six-part edition in 1534, a collaborative effort of Luther and many others such as Johannes Bugenhagen , Justus Jonas , Caspar Creuziger , Philip Melanchthon , Matthäus Aurogallus , and Georg Rörer . Luther worked on refining the translation up to his death in 1546; he had worked on the edition that was printed that year. The Old Testament was translated using

14652-557: The evangelical doctrine of salvation as well as regulations for churches and schools. In 1529, Melanchthon accompanied the elector to the Diet of Speyer . His hopes of persuading the Holy Roman Empire to recognize the Reformation were not fulfilled. A friendly attitude towards the Swiss at the Diet was something he later changed, calling Huldrych Zwingli 's doctrine of the Lord's Supper "an impious dogma ". The composition now known as

14800-402: The expected "be saved" for Greek : σωθῆναι . Karl-Heinz Göttert, a professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Cologne , in reference to his book Luther's Bible - History of a Hostile Takeover noted: Luther developed a certain theology and now he wants to prove this theology. He wants to show it... You can call that awesome and you can call it wrong. In any case, it does not offer

14948-757: The feast of the Immaculate Conception , which at the time, was not dogma, but was celebrated in several cities and had been approved at the Council of Basel in 1439. He declared that the Immaculate Conception was an invention of monks. He saw Mary as a representation (Typus) of the church and believed that in the Magnificat , Mary spoke for the whole church. Standing under the cross, Mary suffered like no other human being; as such, he believed that Christians have to unite with her under

15096-517: The first revision, the EKD realised that the Luther Bible contained too many archaisms and that the spelling did not conform to the current rules. With the introduction of the Duden in the German Reich , a binding spelling system was taught in schools for the first time. So it was unacceptable that the Luther Bible, of all things, deviated from this. The text was carefully modernised and adopted and

15244-446: The following Ortschaften or municipal divisions: Wittenberg has a typical oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Dobk ) with cool winters and warm summers. The average temperature in Wittenberg ranges from 1 °C (34 °F) in winter to 19 °C (66 °F) in summer, with the average temperature from May to September being above 10 °C (50 °F). Winter begins in early October and spring begins in mid-April of

15392-500: The following year. There are 14.1 days of daytime high temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) each year, and about 18 days of daytime maximum temperatures below freezing each winter. The Wittenberg weather station has recorded the following extreme values: Lutherstadt Wittenberg has a wide range of cultural sites. Most are located within the historic old town along the Wittenberg Culture Mile . Wittenberg

15540-516: The formula altogether, seeing how easily it could be misunderstood. His opponents continued to go against him, accusing him of synergism and Zwinglianism . At the Colloquy of Worms in 1557 which he had reluctantly attended, the adherents of Flacius and the Saxon theologians tried to humiliate him as a heretic. Melanchthon persevered in his efforts for the peace of the church, suggesting a synod of

15688-408: The history of the university, which is rich in tradition, developments took place that had an impact not only on Germany but also on large parts of the world. The Hamlethaus in Collegienstraße blends into the ensemble of the town. The Bugenhagen House next to the town church is the oldest Protestant vicarage in the world and is one of the most significant memorials to the Reformation. Until 1997, it

15836-509: The late 15th century. At that time Greek was seldom taught even at universities. Known as the "September Bible", this translation included only the New Testament and was printed in September 1522, six months after he had returned to Wittenberg . Luther also published the Bible in the small octavo format. In the opinion of the 19th-century Protestant theologian and church historian Philip Schaff : The richest fruit of Luther's leisure in

15984-464: The latter (June 1530): To your great anxiety by which you are made weak, I am a cordial foe; for the cause is not ours. It is your philosophy, and not your theology, which tortures you so, - as though you could accomplish anything by your useless anxieties. So far as the public cause is concerned, I am well content and satisfied; for I know that it is right and true, and, what is more, it is the cause of Christ and God himself. For that reason, I am merely

16132-579: The local branch of the Ascanians died out in 1422, control of Saxe-Wittenberg passed to the House of Wettin . The town became an important regional political and cultural centre at the end of the 15th century when Frederick III "the Wise", the Elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, made his residence in Wittenberg. Several parts of the boundaries of the town were extended soon afterwards. The second bridge over

16280-641: The market square – or so the popular version of the town's history goes. In actual fact the Luther statue was not even present in the town square during much of the war but in storage at Luther Brunnen, a roadhouse a few kilometres north of the town. Wittenberg's reputation as a town protected from Allied bombing is largely accurate. However, just outside Wittenberg the government had built the Arado Flugzeugwerke (the Arado Aircraft Factory), which produced components of airplanes for

16428-523: The needs of practical religion. Wittenberg Wittenberg , officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg , is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt , in the Federal Republic of Germany . It is situated on the River Elbe , 60 kilometers (37 mi) north of Leipzig and 90 kilometers (56 mi) south-west of the reunified German federal capital city of Berlin , and has

16576-462: The official residence of the Wittenberg superintendents. The artistic decoration is well preserved and includes works by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger . Epitaphs on the interior and exterior walls refer to the work of many important personalities. The cemetery chapel of the Holy Corpse stands to the south of the town church and once belonged to the walled cemetery area of

16724-581: The old Greek translation of the Old Testament, was used throughout. As a result, the numbering of the verses had to be revised in some cases. The complete 1534 edition of the Luther Bible contains a total of 75 books, including 39 books of the Old Testament, 9 books of the Apocrypha, and 27 books of the New Testament: Luther controversially added the word "alone" ( allein in German) to Romans 3:28 so that it read: "So now we hold, that man

16872-494: The opinion that they are adiaphora , if nothing is changed in the pure doctrine and the sacraments which Jesus instituted. However he disregarded the position that concessions made under such circumstances have to be regarded as a denial of Evangelical convictions. Melanchthon later regretted his actions. After Luther's death he became seen by many as the "theological leader of the German Reformation" although

17020-408: The pervasiveness of his German Bible, created and spread the modern German language. Philip Melanchthon Bible Translators Theologians Philip Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerdt ; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer , collaborator with Martin Luther , the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation , an intellectual leader of

17168-512: The physical act of mastication , he nevertheless assumed the real presence of the body of Christ and therefore also a real self-impartation. He also differed from Calvin in emphasizing the relation of the Lord's Supper to justification. Melanchthon viewed any veneration of saints rather critically but he developed positive commentaries about Mary . In his Annotations in Evangelia , he wrote

17316-624: The quiet development of the church. Melanchthon had an innate aversion to quarrels and discord; yet, often he was very irritable. His irenical character often led him to adapt himself to the views of others, as may be seen from his correspondence with Erasmus and from his public attitude from the Diet of Augsburg to the Interim. It was said not to be merely a personal desire for peace, but his conservative religious nature that guided him in his acts of conciliation. He never could forget that his father on his death-bed had besought his family "never to leave

17464-459: The region, dialectal idiosyncrasies were incorporated and unfamiliar expressions replaced. Due to its fundamental importance for Protestantism, voices were soon raised that wanted to regulate the content of the Luther Bible, but such initiatives were regionally limited. Three regional versions came to prominence. Nevertheless, the number of different versions of the text grew. By the end of the 19th century, there were around ten different versions of

17612-547: The remote hilltop Wartburg Castle in the spring of 1522. There he had spent months of time, effort and research into translating the two to four thousand years old texts of ancient languages of ancient Hebrew , Ancient Greek and Latin texts and manuscripts of the Old Testament and New Testament in the Bible into then common 16th century version of their German language so that the Christian lay people could read

17760-405: The result was widely disseminated and contributed significantly to the development of today's modern High German language . The Luther Bible was not the first translation or printing of the Bible into German. A number of Bible translations into German , both manuscript and printed, were produced prior to Luther's birth. Historian Margaret O'Rourke Boyle has claimed: "there was no causation between

17908-432: The rough pioneer who must break the road; but Master Philip comes along softly and gently, sows and waters heartily, since God has richly endowed him with gifts." Luther also praised Melanchthon's revised Loci and called him "a divine instrument which has achieved the very best in the department of theology to the great rage of the devil and his scabby tribe." Luther never spoke directly against Melanchthon. However often he

18056-465: The second official church revision was published in 1912. The Bible societies were of the opinion that the text was still completely outdated and that the Luther Bible could therefore lose its character as a popular book, but the First and Second World Wars hampered editorial work. Partial revisions were made in 1956, 1964, 1970, and 1975. In 1976, "Luther NT", a very modern version of the New Testament,

18204-401: The settlement in 1180 as a small village founded by Flemish colonists under the rule of the House of Ascania . In 1260 this village became the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg , and in 1293 the settlement was granted its town charter as a free-standing town. Wittenberg developed into an important trade centre during the following few centuries because of its central location. When

18352-668: The sons of God." When Caspar Peucer , his son-in-law, asked him if he wanted anything, he replied, "Nothing but heaven." He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod on 16 February, his birthday, and in the calendar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on 25 June, the date of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession . Melanchthon's importance for

18500-616: The table of contents of his 1532 Old Testament, and in the 1534 Bible they were given the well-known title: "Apocrypha: These Books Are Not Held Equal to the Scriptures, but Are Useful and Good to Read". See also Development of the Christian Biblical canon . A large part of Luther's significance was in his influence on the emergence of the German language and national identity. This stemmed predominantly from his translation of

18648-424: The town's history. On 27 June 1293, Wittenberg was granted town rights by Duke Albert II. There then arose a mediaeval town whose highest governing body was its council. This council, known to have existed as early as 1317, was given the job of administering the town in its care through law and legislation, and of handling the town's revenue. For documentation, the administration used its own seal. One version of what

18796-640: The town. The spot outside the Elster Gate where Luther publicly burned the papal bull in 1520 is marked by an oak tree. The original Wittenberg University quadrangle also lies in the city centre. One of the town's main attractions is the Schlosskirche (Castle Church), most notably associated with the publication of Martin Luther 's 95 Theses , a bold attack on the Roman Catholic Church's practice of indulgences. The castle church

18944-568: The treatment of the real presence in the Lord's Supper. Many Lutheran churches specify that they subscribe to the "Unaltered Augsburg Confession", as opposed to the Variata. Melanchthon played an important role in discussions concerning the Lord's Supper which began in 1531. He approved of Bucer 's Wittenberg Concord and discussed the question with Bucer in Kassel in 1534. He worked for an agreement on this question, as his patristic studies and

19092-404: The work of Lucas Cranach the Elder , Lucas Cranach the Younger , Hans Cranach , Augustin Cranach , and Lucas Cranach III in Wittenberg. The building at Markt 4 and the pharmacy with the courtyard at Schlossstraße 1 show points of contact with Lucas Cranach and his descendants. Lucas Cranach the Elder set up his own print shop in the once-famous printing town of Wittenberg. Among other things,

19240-668: The world's premier museum dedicated to Luther and the Reformation era. Wittenberg was also the seat of the prince Elector of Saxony , a dignity held by the dukes of the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg , making it one of the most powerful cities in the thousand years old of the Holy Roman Empire (A.D. c.800 / 962–1806) in Central Europe. Today Wittenberg is an industrial centre and popular tourist destination, best known for its intact historic centre and various additional memorial sites dedicated to Martin Luther and his friend and fellow theologian / reformer Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560), major author of

19388-656: Was conservative , and in the Leipsic Interim he was said by Cordatus and Schenk even to be Crypto-Catholic. He did not look for a reconciliation with Catholicism at the price of pure doctrine. He attributed more value to the external appearance and organization of the Church than Luther did, as can be seen from his treatment of the "doctrine of the church". The ideal conception of the church, which he expressed in Loci in 1535, later lost its prominence when he began to emphasize

19536-724: Was a severe cold which he had contracted on a journey to Leipzig in March 1560, followed by a fever that consumed his strength, although his body had already been weakened. He was pronounced dead on 19 April 1560. His body was buried beside Luther's in the Schloßkirche in Wittenberg . In Melanchthon's last moments, he continued to worry over the desolate condition of the church. He prayed continually and listened to passages of Scripture. The words of John 1:11-12 were especially significant to him - "His own received him not; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become

19684-458: Was absent at Wartburg Castle , during the disturbances caused by the Zwickau prophets , Melanchthon wavered. The appearance of Melanchthon's Loci communes rerum theologicarum seu hypotyposes theologicae (Wittenberg and Basel , 1521) was of subsequent importance to the Reformation. Melanchthon discussed the "leading thoughts" of Paul's Letter to the Romans and used this platform to present

19832-416: Was bought by churches, pastors, and schools. Even though the translation and revision work on the Luther Bible ended with Martin Luther's death in 1546, this does not mean that the text of the Luther Bible was no longer changed. It was reprinted and distributed in various places. New adaptations were made time and again. Text changes were part of the everyday business for printers and typesetters. Depending on

19980-563: Was burned in 1689 by French troops during the War of the Palatinate Succession . The town's Melanchthonhaus was built on the site of his place of birth in 1897. In 1507 he was sent to the Latin school at Pforzheim , where the rector, Georg Simler of Wimpfen , introduced him to the Latin and Greek poets and to Aristotle . He was influenced by his great-uncle Johann Reuchlin , a Renaissance humanist , who suggested Philipp follow

20128-428: Was directly linked to Providence , a point of view that was influential in curriculum change after the Protestant Reformation in Germany. In the period 1536-1539 he was involved in three academic innovations: the refoundation of Wittenberg along Protestant lines, the reorganization at Tübingen, and the foundation of the University of Leipzig . Before these theological dissensions were settled, Melanchthon died. Only

20276-426: Was dissatisfied with Melanchthon's actions, he never uttered a word against his private character, although Melanchthon sometimes evinced a lack of confidence in Luther. In a letter to Carlowitz, before the Diet of Augsburg, he protested that Luther, with his hot-headed nature, exercised a personally humiliating pressure upon him. The distinction between Luther and Melanchthon is well brought out in Luther's letters to

20424-468: Was extensively renovated. St. Mary's Town Church and Parish Church is the mother church of the Reformation. The first Protestant service was held in it in 1521 by Justus Jonas the Elder and Andreas Bodenstein of Karlstadt. As Martin Luther's preaching church, it was the Reformation official church of the general superintendents of the Saxon Kurkreis . After the Congress of Vienna it became

20572-535: Was it not "an epistle of straw" that ought not to be in the NT anyway? This second argument caused considerable unease within Protestant circles and was not maintained by Luther's successors. The 2017 version of the Lutherbibel has added footnotes on Romans 1:17, Romans 2:13, Romans 3:21, and Romans 3:28 which note that German idiom does not, in fact, require alone . While the text of the 2017 version retains

20720-426: Was later (1885–1892) restored. The wooden doors, burnt in 1760, were replaced in 1858 by bronze doors, bearing the Latin text of the theses. Inside the church are the tombs of Martin Luther , Philipp Melanchthon , Johannes Bugenhagen , Paul Eber and of the electors Frederick the Wise (by Peter Vischer the Younger , 1527) and John the Constant (by Hans Vischer ), and portraits of the reformers by Lucas Cranach

20868-465: Was printed, it could spread rapidly and could be read by or to all. Hans Lufft , the Bible printer in Wittenberg , printed over 100,000 copies between 1534 and 1574, and these were read by or to millions. Luther's vernacular Bible came to be present in virtually every German-speaking Protestant's home, and increased the Biblical knowledge of the German common masses. Luther even had large-print Bibles made for those who had failing eyesight. Luther's goal

21016-423: Was produced. Melanchthon wrote a reply to this which became known as the Apology of the Augsburg Confession . Melanchthon then settled into the comparative quiet of his academic and literary labours. His most important theological work of this period was the Commentarii in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos (Wittenberg, 1532), noteworthy for introducing the idea that "to be justified" means "to be accounted just", whereas

21164-459: Was published, but it met with much opposition, so that the translation had to be revised again. In 1984, the third official church revision of the Luther Bible was then completed and published. This version was adapted to the new German orthography in 1999. Here also some revisions have taken place, e.g., Weib changed to Frau . Despite the revisions, the language is still somewhat archaic and difficult for non-native speakers who want to learn

21312-405: Was remodelled between 1883 and 1892. According to the intentions of the builders, the world-historical significance of the castle church was to be expressed. In the spirit of the historicism period, the statement was related to the precursors and bearers of the Reformation, thus creating a Reformation memorial. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the posting of the theses in 2017, the church

21460-408: Was set up at Klein Wittenberg, 2 miles (3.2 km) from the city. Eight compounds held 13,000 men of soldiers, sailors and pilots captured from the Allied armies of several opposing enemy nations. During the typhus epidemic of 1914–1915, conditions were harsh. The camp medical officer, Dr. Aschenbach who supposedly did the best he could, was later awarded the Imperial German military decoration of

21608-445: Was the residence and place of work of the Wittenberg superintendents without interruption since the Reformation. Johannes Bugenhagen was the first pastor to live here until his death in 1558. Between 2004 and 2007, the building was thoroughly renovated and now serves as a spiritual community and meeting centre. The Stadthaus is a modern building complex on Arsenalplatz that includes several historic buildings. Their origins date back to

21756-520: Was to equip every German-speaking Christian with the ability to hear the Word of God, and his completing his translation of the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into the vernacular by 1534 was one of the most significant acts of the Reformation. Catholic German humanist Johann Cochlaeus complained that Luther's New Testament was so much multiplied and spread by printers that even tailors and shoemakers , yea, even women and ignorant persons who had accepted this new Lutheran gospel, and could read

21904-529: Was to produce idiomatic Saxon German rather than a literal translation. Schaff notes: He adapted the words to the capacity of the Germans, often at the expense of accuracy. For example, he translated δίκαιος -forms with gerecht -words to refer to divine righteousness, but with frum -words in contexts which refer to human goodness, with billig for what is fitting or appropriate, and with recht -words when referring to lawful conduct, to create distinctions that reflected his theological view. The translation of

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