Ep. 243: Martin Luther #5 - Fame, Friends, Foes and a Fat Marmot

In August 1518, Pope Leo X wrote to Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, and demanded that he hand over “a son of iniquity”, Brother Martin Luther. A few weeks later Luther was on the road to Augsburg to face Cardinal Cajetan. It was arguably the most dangerous moment of his life, more dangerous even than Worms. This episode follows how Luther got there and how close he came to the stake: Fame: four groups (imperial reformers, humanists, friars and ordinary readers) each saw their own Luther. Foes: the Dominicans, Johannes Eck, Luther’s old Erfurt teachers and, finally, the full weight of the Roman Church. Friends: Melanchthon, Karlstadt, Cranach and Spalatin. The Fat Marmot: a portrait of Frederick the Wise, the cautious, pious and remarkably peaceable prince who held Luther’s fate in his hands. Augsburg: Luther’s meetings with Cajetan, one of the sharpest theologians of his age, and how they ended in shouting. Flight: Luther’s escape through a gate in the city wall at night, and his discovery that Rome had condemned him before he was ever heard. The final hour: a farewell dinner in Wittenberg on 1 December 1518, and two letters from the Elector that changed the course of the Reformation. Further reading Armin Kohnle, Friedrich der Weise (2024) Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther Support the show: History of the Germans is advertising-free thanks to listeners like you. Become a member at historyofthegermans.com/support. ★ Support this podcast ★