Katharina Von Bora an Amazing Woman

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Katharina Von Bora an Amazing Woman

Not many Christian or Protestants at that, have heard the name, Katharina Von Bora (1499-1552). A truly amazing woman, a mother and wife and a loving foster mother. She escaped from the Monastery of Torgau, Saxony, Germany with other Nuns assisted by her husband to be, who was Monk of the Order of Augustine, and educator.

Tuesday 31st October 2017 was the 500th anniversary of the nailing of the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Church door on 31st October 1517.  By a Catholic Monk/Priest who was just as famous for his anti-Semitic and bigotted stance against the Jews. His actions are seen as the beginning of Protestantism as we know it today. The Monk’s name was Martin Luther O.S.A. (1483-1546) who was a German professor of theology, composer, priest.  However, most of all, he became a bigotted hater of Jews.

However, the discussion is not about Luther; it is what history has forgotten; Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora (1499-1552) aka “die Lutherin.” A woman I believe to be a great person in her own right.  An ex-nun, Master Brewer, cattle breeder, and a mother of six (although, sadly she lost 2 of her children), not including being the mother of five orphans. She is considered one of the most important participants of the Reformation because of her role in helping to define Protestant family life and setting the tone for clergy marriages.  

Katharina was not some peasant either; she was well educated and believed to have been born the daughter of a Saxon landed gentry. Fischer/v.Stutterheim in: AfF (2005) pp. 242ff; Wagner in: Genealogie (2005) pp. 673ff, Genealogie (2006) pp. 30ff; Wagner in FFM (2006), pp. 342ff   

At the age of about five years, she was sent to the Benedictines in 1504 for education.  At age nine years, she transferred to the Cistercian monastery of Marienthron (Mary’s throne) in 1509/10. However, in late 1522 or thereabout Katherine and many other nuns at the monastery became disillusioned by Catholicism and monastic life and she wrote to Luther begging for assistance.

On Easter Eve, 4th April 1523, Luther sent Leonhard Köppe, a merchant and city councilman of Torgau, who regularly delivered herring to the monastery. The nuns successfully escaped by hiding in Köppe’s covered wagon among the fish barrels and fled to Wittenberg.  

At the time a local student wrote to a friend: “A wagon load of vestal virgins has just come to town, all more eager for marriage than for life. God grant them husbands lest worse befall.”

All the nuns found husbands except Katharina, as none of the proposed matches resulted in marriage. She told Luther’s friend and fellow reformer, Nikolaus von Amsdorf, that she would be willing to marry only Luther or von Amsdorf himself. Amsdorf decline (silly man) and Luther took Katharina as his wife on the 13th June 1525.

What more does a man want in a woman, a Master Brewer, Cattle breeder, fertile wench and an ambassador of womanhood? Free German beer with a steak and in charge of the TV controller every night….that is heaven! Well, it was what I wanted 53 years ago out of my marriage. However, what I got was nothing like what Luther had, so I cannot say I am not envious. 

What do you say, was history unkind to this great lady?  

 

Cofion 

Jero Jones

Article URL : https://breakingnewsandreligion.online/discuss/