Erfurt

28 WEEKS BEFORE REFORMATION SUNDAY

The city of Erfurt, Germany was the setting for much of Martin Luther’s emergence as a reformer. Here he began his studies in 1501, and over the years until his last visit to the city in 1540 he returned time and again to lecture and preach.

Located in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin and the wide valley of the Gera River, Erfurt was the capital city of the region. The University located there, founded in 1379, became one of the centers of Protestant reform during the 16th century.

In this context, the young Luther emerged as a leading voice calling for fundamental changes in the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The city and its university provided the stage upon which Luther developed his ideas and where he took his first steps to break with the established religious order. In time, his years in Erfurt prepared him for his greater achievements when he posted the 95 theses in Wittenberg and later when he defied the Papacy at the Diet of Worms.

• Bulletin insert – Week 28: Erfurt (pdf file)
• Social media distribution: Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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