Eberlin Von Gunzburg and the German Reformation
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
This dissertation has been 64—7003 microfilmed exactly as received COLE, Richard Glenn, 1934- EBERLIN VON GUNZBURG AND THE GERMAN REFORMATION. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1963 History, modern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan EBERLIN VON GUNZBURG AND THE GERMAN REFORMATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Richard Glenn Cole, B.A., M.A. ******* The Ohio State University 1963 Approved by Department of History ACKNOWLEDGMENT Without the guidance of my adviser, Harold J. Grimm, and the forbearance of my wife, Joie, this dissertation would not have been possible. ii CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION......... 1 Chapter I. GERMANY ON THE EVE OP THE REFORMATION....... 8 II. A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .................. 28 III. THE POLEMICAL FLUGSCHRIFTEN.................. 47 IV. EBERLIN AS AN EVANGELICAL.................... 68 V. ZEIT BRINGT RflSSLIN.......................... 91 VI. THE NEW SOCIETY................. 125 VII. CONCLUSIONS................ 146 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................... 154 AUTOBIOGRAPHY.................................... 166 ill INTRODUCTION Much has been written about the causes of the German Reformation and the effects of it upon later developments such as the rise of capitalism and nationalism. Comparatively few studies have been made concerning the interaction of Lutheran doctrine with German society. While it is difficult to generalize accurately on whether there was a "Lutheran ethic" or whether there were discernible changes in the mores and patterns of life in Lutheran areas, there is reason to believe that a study of the reaction of individuals as well as social groups to Luther’s Reformation may shed new light upon the interaction between the reform movement and social issues. It is the purpose of this study to ascertain in it what manner Eberlin von Gunzburg responded to the resurgence of evangelical Christianity. He is of special interest because he was a strong supporter and, for a time, a close associate of Martin Luther. Fortunately, as a high-ly literate and perspicuous writer, he recorded his thoughts, observations, and opinions in numerous pamphlets which were read by many. Eberlin*s importance in fostering the spread of the Reformation has not been given proper attention by historians, nor has there been any attempt to write a meaningful evaluation of his religious, socioeconomic, and political thoughts. A study which brings together the various directions of his labors, his trenchant insights into German society, and his many contributions to the Lutheran Reformation is long overdue. Primarily, this dissertation will be limited to the life and work of Eberlin von Gilnzburg. At times, however, it will be necessary to compare him with some of his contemporaries, such as the noted humanists Erasmus of Rotterdam and Sir Thomas More and the important Lutheran reformers Johann Bugenhagen and Philip Melanchthon. Since it is unwise to view the life of a pamphlet writer in a vacuum, an analysis of some of the strong opponents and critics of Eberlin during his own day will be made, for example, the Catholic polemist, Thomas Murner. Chapter One will be devoted to a brief outline of the social background of Germany at the turn of the sixteenth century. The increasing power of the territorial princes, the expanding wealth and prestige of the townsmen, and currents of peasant unrest created an interesting and complex environment in which the reformers worked. Chapter Two will be a biographical sketch of Eberlin's life and career. Much of the information pertaining to his early life and education is scarce and is available only in scattered places in his pamphlets. Although his origins are obscure, there is ample material concerning the ten-year period of his most active endeavors. Following the biographical chapter, there will be a presentation of sixteenth-century printing as it pertains to the publication of Eberlin*s pamphlets. He was quick to recognize the value of the printing press and was in many ways a pioneer in the artful dissemination of religious propaganda. Printers eagerly sought out notes from his sermons and pamphlets. His sparkle, warmth, and clear and simple style made him one of the most popular of Reformation pamphlet writers. His broadsides were translated into low-German dialects and sold far and wide across Germany. On one occasion, a bundle of them was sent as far east as Hungary. In Chapter Four an attempt will be made to establish the fact that Eberlin had a sound and clear comprehension of Luther’s conception of the Christian religion. The link between Lutheran ideas and his is important since it is from this vantage point that he views society and its problems. At least, the fact that he thinks he is a genuine follower of Luther lends particular significance to his work. Eberlin had many opinions on political and economic problems current in his own' day. Chapter Five will describe his conception of the state, his secularism, and his attitude toward Roman law. Although many of his thoughts were neither new nor original, he had a unique hope for a better social order resulting from the spread of the Lutheran Reformation to all Germany. Moreover, eschatological and millennial currents of thought which had a strong impact on "left-wing" groups during the early years of the Reformation will be discussed. When he is compared with the radical visionaries or esoteric cultists, it is clearly apparent that he drew his strength and his optimism not from currents of millennial thought popular in the late middle ages but rather from the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith and the merits of a Christian life. The final chapter will be a presentation of Eberlin*s ideas with respect to contemporary social problems such as poor relief, care of the sick, punishment of crime, and the extent to which the good Christian should indulge in worldly amusements. His comments are sometimes quaint and naive but appear to be written with sincerity. Frequently, knowledge of apparently trivial details makes it possible for the historian to see into the depths of an era. It follows that his social thoughts are of interest primarily for two reasons. First, they serve as a mirror of ordinary life in the sixteenth century, and, secondly, they reflect what one Lutheran reformer pictured as an ideal set of mores. It is hoped that by using Eberlin as a vehicle of the interaction of Lutheran doctrine with social issues new light will be shed on the history and the understanding of the Reformation. It is strange that such an interesting and important figure as Eberlin has not been given in recent times more extensive and thorough treatment. Many of the scholars who have discussed or mentioned him in passing have been primarily interested In the fact that he was of literary rather than historical significance. None of the current college textbooks and few general accounts of Reformation history mention him by name. Writers who treat his life and work often praise him but fail to explore In depth. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Berhnard Riggenbach chose to write a biography of him because of the fact that "next to Luther, not one man had more influence on the atmosphere of the South German peasants than Eberlin."1 Yet, the biographers seemed more interested in proving the existence of source material than pointing out his significance to and relationship with the Reformation. Similarly, Karl Schottenloher, cataloger and scholar of German broadsides and newspapers, writes that he was one of the "most moving, clever, and widely read co-fighters with Luther." Be that as it may, the author allows him only minimum space. Another writer, Johannes Janssen, the 1Bernhard Riggenbach, Johann Eberlin von Giinzburg und sein Reformprogramm (Tubingen: L. J. Pues, 187^), p7 3. ^arl Schottenloher, Flugblatt und Zeltung (Berlin: R. C. Schmidt und Co., 1922), p. 68. strongly biased Catholic historian who views the whole Lutheran movement as a Pandora's Box, writes of Eberlin that he was "one of the most influential of those traveling preachers and pamphleteers. In the same vein, Friedrich Kapp, the nineteenth-century authority on the history of German printing and the booktrade, concludes that "he was a great folk preacher."^ But he overlooks the other aspect of his career. Another scholar, Julius Werner, states that when Eberlin is compared with such men as Reuchlin, Pirkheimer, and Erasmus, he seems quite small and insignif icant; but nevertheless, when the proper time came he "made great sacrifices for the Lutheran cause,... Curiously, the individual who was largely responsible for the collection and preservation of Eberlin’s pamphlets in the Stadt- und Universit£tsbibliothek in Frankfurt, Gustav Freytag, the prominent German literary figure and pamphlet collector of the nineteenth century, writes that "even though he was clever and popular, he was ^Johannes Janssen, History of the German People at the Close of the Middle Ages (St. Louis: B. Herder, 190777 i n , P. 215. 4 Friedrich Kapp, Geschichte des Deutschen Buchhandels (Leipzig: Btirsenverein der Deutschen BuchhSndTir, 1886), p. 440. ^Julius Werner, Johann Eberlin von Gtinzburg (Heidelberg: Carl Winters UniversitMtsbuchhandlung, 1889), p. 129. In reality a demagogue just like Andreas Carlstadt and £ Thomas Mtintzer, who were both raw and crude.1' While all the writers noted above agree that Eberlin was of some importance, none have studied him in detail or have made any attempt to evaluate his overall significance as a connecting link between the Reformation and the masses of society. In the following chapters, an attempt will be made to show the importance of his life and work in the spread of the Reformation and how one Individual reacted to the powerful doctrines of Luther during the crucial years of the Reformation, 1517-1530.