Martin Luther to his Wife Katharina; Weimar, 2 July 1540 (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 10357, fol. 10)

In this letter, Martin Luther (1483–1546) informs his wife at home in Wittenberg about a number of events. At this point, he was staying with Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) in Weimar. His close confidant had fallen prey to life-threatening sickness during the journey to a religious disputation in Hagenau (Alsace). By now, he was however regaining his health.

Luther writes verbatim that Melanchthon had risen from death (“vom tod aufferstanden”) and that, therefore, Luther felt well. His well-being is expressed in his typically coarse, in part even humourist language: “I gorge like a Bohemian and guzzle like a German, thanks be to God, Amen” (“Ich fresse wie ein beheme (Böhme) und sauffe wie ein deudscher, das sey Gott gedanckt, Amen”).

Luther also mentions normal private matters, for example about the letters of their children, which he had received. In addition, the reformer also speaks about ecclesiastical-theological topics: the pastor at Arnstadt had exorcised a devil; the village of Greußen needed a new pastor.

The letter is preserved in a composite manuscript (Clm 10357, fol. 10) which comprises autographs with the correspondence of diverse sixteenth-century reformers and scholars. Among these are also letters by Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) and by Erasmus of Rotterdam (c.1466–1536).

To the digitised copy