Listen to something else if you do not know it already:12 the Pope, the Emperor, the Frenchman, and Ferdinand have dispatched a very splendid legation, loaded down with precious gifts, to the Turks for the purpose of establishing peace. The nicest thing about this is the fact that in order not to offend the eyes of the Turks, all of the envoys have laid aside their native clothing and have decked themselves out in long tunics, according to the custom of the Turks. It is said that they departed from Venice on June 21. These are the people who until now have decried the Turk as the enemy of the Christian name, and using this pretext have wrung money from the people and agitated the inhabitants of their territories against the Turks. In order to make war against the Turks, the Roman satan has bled the world of its money by means of indulgences, annates, and endless sly thievery. What Christians, or rather hellish idols of the devil [!] I hope that these are very cheerful signs of the nearness of the end of all things. Therefore, while they13 worship the Turk, let us shout to the true God who will listen to us, and who through the splendor of his future arrival will humiliate even the Turk, along with them.14 Amen.
Your Lordship's dedicated MARTIN LUTHER, DOCTOR To Mrs. Martin Luther [Zeitz,]1 July 28, 1545 On July 25 Luther, his son John,2 and one of his boarders, Ferdinand von Maugis,3 joined Caspar
Cruciger4 on a trip to Zeitz, where Cruciger was to try to settle a bitter controversy between some pastors who stood under the jurisdiction of Nicholas von Amsdorf, the evangelical bishop of Naumburg.5 Luther was in Zeitz on July 27,6 and on July 28 he wrote the following letter to his wife.
In this letter Luther tells Katie first that John will report details about the trip, and that they all received much hospitality on the way. Then Luther informs Katie that he is disgusted with moral conditions in Wittenberg and would like to arrange matters so that he would not have to return to Wittenberg. He feels that the people of Wittenberg would make difficulties for his family anyhow, once he had died; and so he suggests that Katie now dispose of their properties in Wittenberg and move to Zölsdorf. He hopes that the Elector will continue to pay his salary for this year, which he feels might well be the last year of his life, and that this salary would enable him to improve the estate in Zölsdorf. Luther tells his wife that "the day after tomorrow" he will drive to Merseburg to visit George of Anhalt. In closing, Luther leaves it up to his wife to decide whether to inform Melanchthon and Bugenhagen of his intention not to return to Wittenberg; if his wife does tell them, then she is to ask Bugenhagen to inform the congregation of Luther's decision, and to say farewell to the congregation in Luther's name.
Luther had considered leaving Wittenberg in protest before7 he wrote the present letter. But the determination with which Luther spoke in the present letter was a considerable shock for the University and the town. Luther's colleagues immediately conjectured that Luther wanted to leave Wittenberg because of doctrinal differences which existed between Luther and "one" of Luther's colleagues.8 On August I the University wrote to Elector John Frederick, enclosing a copy of the present letter,9 and informing the Elector that the University would deputize Bugenhagen and "some others" to negotiate with Luther for his return. The University requested the Elector to summon Luther and try to influence him to change his mind.
As a result of this request, the Elector deputized his personal physician, Matthias Ratzeberger,10 to deal with Luther; Ratzeberget was to confer with Melanchthon first, however.11 Ratzeberger was to give
Luther the Elector's personal letter12 (a masterpiece of psychological diplomacy) and, along with von Amsdorf, Melanchthon, Bugenhagen, and Major, to persuade Luther to change his mind.
Meanwhile Luther had gone from Zeitz to Merseburg,13 where he met with Ratzeberger on or after August 6.14 It becomes difficult to reconstruct Luther's activities for the days after August 6. On August 7 or 8 Luther left Merseburg;15 we find him next in Leipzig, where he preached on August 12. On August 16 he was at the Electoral court in Torgau.16 He left there on August 17 and was in Wittenberg again shortly after midnight on the same day, tired and suffering from a recurrence of his stone problem.17
- 84 Contrary to Melanchthon's assumption18 that Luther's decision to leave Wittenberg had something to do with doctrinal matters, it is clear, on the basis of a letter written by Ratzeberger,19 that Luther's decision was based on his disappointment with and anger about the conditions in Wittenberg; the decision was apparently actually made (on the spur of the moment) under the impact of some stories about Wittenberg which Luther heard in the countryside.20 The Elector and Brück had a much more realistic view of the situation than Melanchthon had.21 The Elector simply talked about those complaints Luther had which he felt could be settled. And Brück argued that one should not make so much ado about it all, saying that, thank God, it would not be as easy to dispose of the property as Luther thought it would be; while Brück was well aware that Luther might be stubborn and remain "sitting on his head," he also realized that in view of the problems which would arise in connection with the sale of Luther's property, the last word on this matter had not yet been spoken.
How serious Luther was about his decision to leave Wittenberg could not be ascertained. His continued absence from Wittenberg without any given reason seems to indicate that Luther was indeed serious. On the other hand, while in Merseburg, Luther supposedly was promised "in the name of the church and the state" that the poor moral conditions in Wittenberg would be corrected;22 according to Köstlin-Kawerau,23 after Luther's return to Wittenberg, the city council and the University did indeed draft (upon the Elector's orders) ordinances directed against the poor public behavior which supposedly had caused Luther's anger. Since Luther left Merseburg on August 7 or 8, the issues must have been well on the way to being settled by that time. In any case, Luther did eventually return to Wittenberg, and Ratzeberger and Melanchthon24 had accomplished their missions. While obviously the promises made to Luther at Merseburg and the "arm-twisting" by his friends played some part in Luther's change of heart, the fact that Luther may in any event have had second thoughts about his decision to leave Wittenberg must not be discounted.
Text in German: WA, Br 11,149–150.25
To my kind and dear mistress of the house, Luther's Catherine von Bora, a preacher, a brewer, a gardener,26 and whatever else she is capable of doing27
Grace and peace! Dear Katie! John28 surely will tell you everything pertaining to our journey; I am not yet certain whether he should stay with me, but Doctor Caspar Cruciger29 and Ferdinand,30 of course, will tell you.31 Ernst von Schönfeld has treated us graciously at Löbnitz,32 and Heintz Scherle at Leipzig even more so.33
I would like to arrange matters in such a way that I do not have to return to Wittenberg. My heart has become cold, so that I do not like to be there any longer. I wish you would sell the garden and field, house and all.34 Also I would like to return the big house35 to my Most Gracious Lord.36 It would be best for you to move to Zölsdorf37 as long as I am still living and able to help you to improve the little property with my salary.38 For I hope that my Most Gracious Lord would let my salary be continued at least for one
[year], that is, the last year of my life.39 After my death the four elements40 at Wittenberg certainly will not tolerate you [there]. Therefore it would be better to do while I am alive what certainly would have to be done then. As things are run in Wittenberg, perhaps the people there will acquire41 not only the dance of St. Vitus42 or St. John,43 but the dance of the beggars or the dance of Beelzebub, since they have started to bare women and maidens in front and back,44 and there is no one who punishes or objects.45 In addition the Word of God is being mocked [there]. Away from this Sodom!46 If Leeks Bachscheisse,47 our other
Rosina,48 and [her] seducer49 are not yet imprisoned, then help as much as you can to see that this scoundrel loses what he has gained.50 While in the country I have heard more than I find out while in Wittenberg.51 Consequently I am tired of this city and do not wish to return, May God help me with this.
The day after tomorrow52 I shall drive to Merseburg, for Sovereign George53 has very urgently asked that I do so.54 Thus I shall be on the move, and will rather eat the bread of a beggar than torture and upset my poor old [age] and final days with the filth at Wittenberg which destroys my hard and faithful work.55
You might inform Doctor Pomer56 and Master57 Philip58 of this (if you wish), and [you might ask] if Doctor Pomer would wish to say farewell to Wittenberg in my behalf. For I am unable any longer to endure my anger [about] and dislike [of this city].
With this I commend you to God. Amen.
MARTIN LUTHER, DOCTOR