"The most important factor in Martin Luther's survival was Frederick the Wise" discuss

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In the beginning, Martin Luther wasn’t under much threat for his life. In 1517, When he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church, He was only seen as minor threat to the church. However, as his views began to spread the church began to notice. He was summoned to places all over Germany to argue his case and defend himself. One of the most famous was the Leipzig debate. This was the beginning of lathers full reformation of the church.  It was only after this debate, that the Papal Bull of excommunication was given to Luther and he was received an imperial ban to from the Edict of Worms. After this point, Luther was in a lot of danger and many factors helped keep him and his ideas alive.


One of the most important factors for Luther’s survival was Frederick the wise. Frederick III of Ernestine Saxony, commonly known as Frederick the Wise, was a key patron in the early days of Luther. Born in 1463, he became elector of saxony in 1486 when he succeeded his father. In 1502, Frederick founded the University of Wittenberg. This is where Luther began his teaching and the development of his ideas. This was the first crucial part of lathers survival. The university gave Luther the intellectual freedom and academic resources to develop his thinking about the catholic church. It allowed Luther to write his 95 theses as well as gain academic allies within Wittenberg. Despite not playing an active role, Frederick the wise was still a reliable protector of the home and intellectual centre of the reformation movement. In 1518, Luther is charged with heresy in Rome. He tries to defend himself in Augsburg. He has to flee, returning to
 under the protection of Luther. Luther was then summoned to Rome, Frederick intervened on his behalf, ensuring that he would be questioned in Germany, a much safer place for him than Rome. The church was forced to respect Elector Frederick’s wishes because he would be instrumental in choosing the replacement to the Holy Roman Emperor. Luther is summoned to appear before the Diet of Worms. On his journey back to Luther'stadt Wittenberg, he is 'kidnapped' and taken to Wartburg Castle near Eisenach. In reality, he is once again under the protection of Frederick the Wise. Safe in the fortress, Luther grows a beard and goes by the name of "Squire George. Some argue that this very protection is what allowed Luther and his ideas to thrive.

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Despite this, it could also be Argued that other factors were more important in lathers protection. Another factor was the printing press. The printing press was revolutionary in the way ideas were spread and communicated. The printing press was invented in 1436 by John Gutenberg. Suddenly, letters and pamphlets and ideas were able to be mass produced and spread across countries. This was what happened to Luther. Within the small town of Wittenberg, there were 7 printing presses and the moment Luther hammered his 95 theses onto the church door, many companies took it and reproduced it using the ...

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