"I Am Weak, I Cannot Go On": Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)

Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)
"I am weak, I cannot go on"
During his last years of life Luther fought against many physical ailments. The death of
his daughter Magdelena, in 1542, was also very difficult for him.
Luther's relationship to people with different beliefs, especially the Jews, deteriorated
drastically during these years. His 1523 work Jesus was born a Jew showed a
concilliatory attitude; however, in later years the aging reformer sentenced all who did
not want to convert to his beliefs. The strongly anti-semetic work Jews and their
Lies(1543) came out during this period.
Luther continued to lead the Reformation in its fight against its enemies even in the last
years of his life. With his 1545 work Against the Papacy at Rome Founded by the
Devil! he performed his last blow against the Roman Church.
Luther continued his preaching duties despite his various disappointments and ailments.
Luther continued to teach at Wittenberg University until the end of his life; his last
lecture ended with the words: "I am weak, I cannot go on."
Luther's Death (1546)
Luther set off on his last trip on January 17, 1546, to

his birthplace Eisleben (only in German). Although
he was drawn with illness, he went to settle a dispute
among the Mansfeld Counts. The negotiations
endedsuccessfully.
Luther did not have the energy to return to

Wittenberg. He died on February 18, 1546 in
Eisleben. On his death bed, he prayed "Into your
hands, I command my spirit. You have saved me, Father, you
faithful God."
After the coffin was displayed for two days in Eisleben, Luther's body was transported
through Halle and Bitterfeld back to Wittenberg.
On February 22 Luther was laid to rest in the Castle Church in Wittenberg; Johannes
Bugenhagen held the funeral oration.
Luther's Role in Religious Discussions and

his Relationship to Reformers in Other Movements
http://www.luther.de/en/tod.html
Martin Luther's Life
Short Biography
o 1483 (November 10) Born in Eisleben

o 1505 Monk in Erfurt
o 1512 Doctor of Theology in Wittenberg
o 1517 Nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church
o 1521 Outlawed and exiled to the Wartburg
o 1522 Return to Wittenberg
o 1525 Married Katharina von Bora
o 1534 Published the complete Bible in German1534 Published the
complete Bible in German
o 1546 (February 18) Died in Eisleben
http://www.luther.de/en/leben/
Luther's Death
From Dr. Volkmar Joestel, Lutherhalle Wittenberg
His Last Days
Already the end of 1545 Luther had lingered in his birth town of Eisleben
although he was 'old and weak', to help solve an inheritance dispute and lawsuit
between the Mansfeld Count family. Further negotiations were set to begin on
January 25, 1546. Luther, acompanied by his three sons, left for Eisleben after
giving his last sermon in the City Church in Wittenberg on January 17, 1546.
They arrived in Eisleben on January 28. Luther passed out because of the
combination of cold weather and strain of crossing the Saale river. He gave four
more sermons; he often mentioned his imminent (emminent?) death. Two days
prior to his death he remarked: "If I make it home to Wittenberg, I will lay myself
in my coffin to let maggots feast on the stout Doctor" (Wenn ich wieder heim gen
Wittenberg komme, so will ich mich alsdann in Sarg legen und den Maden einen
feisten Doktor zu essen geben).
Luther's Death
The most important reports about

Luther's death were recorded by
the eye-witnesses Justus Jonas
and Michael Coelius, the court
preacher in Mansfeld.
Luther did not take part in the

final negotiations on February 17
because he was not feeling well.
From his chambers one could hear
prayers and also the shout:
"Doctor Jonas and Herr Michael (Coelius), I was born and baptised here in
Eisleben, what if I should stay here"(Doktor Jonas und Herr Michael (Coelius),
ich bin hier zu Eisleben geboren und getauft, wie wenn ich hierbleiben sollte)?
Luther ate dinner with his companions at 8 pm as usual; during dinner he suffered
an attack of angina pectoris. Despite his ailments, he ate well and was in good
spirits. After dinner he went to his room to pray at the window, which was part of
his normal routine; afterwards he slept for about an hour on the sofa. Around
10:30 pm he got up and went to the bedroom and slept in his bed whereby he
offered his soul to God with the commonly used words from Ps. 31:6 ( ). He fell
asleep around 11pm. At 1 am on February 18, Luther awoke again from pain at
which point he soberly awaited his death. He moved to the daybed in his sitting
room where warm towels were used to help alliviate his pain. The landlord, city
scribe Johann Albrecht and wife, both city doctors as well as Count Albrecht and
his wife Anne who was trained in pharmaceutics were all brought to Luther. He
experienced the 'heralds of death', strong pain, fear and breaking out in a sweat.
After thanking God once again for the Revelations of Christ and asking God to
take his soul, Luther repeated Psalm 31:6 three more times and then was silent.
He collapsed as if he wanted to die and did not answer when asked a question.
When countess Anna rubbed him with attar of roses and aquavit life came back to
him. Jonas and Coelius once again asked him if he was dying in the name of
Christ and accepted all of Christs teachings. Luther answered with an
unpretentious "yes" (Ja) and fell back asleep. His face went pale and his feet and
nose got cold. Luther's last breath was taken at 2:45 am; he died in peace.
Luther's last words written on a piece of paper are from February 16 and were:
"Virgil's shepherd poems cannot be understood, except by one who has been a
shepherd for five years. Virgil's poetry about agriculture cannot be understood,
except by one who has been a farmhand for five years. Cicero's letters cannot be
understood, except by one who has participated and lived within a large
community for 25 years. The Holy Scriptures do not have a satisfactory taste for
me or anyone else, unless he has spent 100 years ruling a community as the
prophets Elijah and Elisha, John the Baptist, Christ and the Apostles. (Die
Hirtengedichte Vergils kann niemand verstehen, er sei denn fünf Jahre Hirte
gewesen. Die Vergilschen Dichtungen über die Landwirtschaft kann niemand
verstehen, er sei denn fünf Jahre Ackermann gewesen. Die Briefe Ciceros kann
niemand verstehen, er habe denn 25 Jahre in einem großen Gemeinwesen sich
bewegt. Die Heilige Schrift meine niemand genügsam geschmeckt zu haben, er
habe denn hundert Jahre lang mit Propheten wie Elias und Elisa, Johannes dem
Täufer, Christus und den Aposteln die Gemeinden regiert. Versuche nicht diese
göttliche Aeneis, sondern neige dich tief anbetend vor ihren Spuren! Wir sind
Bettler, das ist wahr; WA 48, S. 421)
Transportation to Wittenberg and Burial
Early morning on February 18, Jonas informed Elector Johann Friedrich and the
Universtiy of Luther's death. The elector wrote to the Counts of Mansfeld telling
them that Luther would be laid to rest in the Castle Chruch of Wittenberg and not
in Eisleben. The university wanted him buried in the City Chruch, but agreed to
the will of the Elector. On February 19 Melanchthon lamented the death of Luther
during his lecture. Luther's wife, Katharina, expressed her pain over Luther's
death to her sister-in-law, Christina von Bora.
Luther's corpse was laid out in a white smock on his bed in Eisleben until a
pewter coffin could be cast. Furtenagel, an artist from Halle, was assigned to
finish a death mask. On February 19 at 2 pm his corpse was taken to St. Andrews
Church (St Andreaskirche) where Jonas gave a funeral oration and on February 20
Coelius have a second funeral oration. Afterwards, around noon, the funeral
procession left town. In most villages the procession went through, the church
bells were ringing. At 5 pm they reached Halle and the corpse was laid out in the
Sacristy of St. Mary's Church (Marienkirche). At noon on February 21 they
reached the electorate of Saxony and the town of Bitterfeld. February 22 in the
morning they arrived at the western Elster gate of Wittenberg. In the front were
students and intellectuals, then the representatives of the Elector and the Counts
Hans and Hoyer of Mansfeld with approximately 65 mounted horsemen. Next
came a wagon pulled by four horses carrying Luther's casket covered with a black
cloth which had a white cross stitched onto it. Behind the corpse, Katharina,
Margarete and some other women rode in a smaller wagon. Other relatives were
on foot, incuding his three sons, brother Jacob and his sister's children. Then came
the university director with the aristocratic students, followed by chancellor Brück
and the most distinguished professors (Melanchthon, Jonas, Bugenhagen,
Cruciger, Hieronymus Schurff), the left over Doctors and Masters. Then came the
council, students and residents; lastly the women and children. The grave in the
Castle Church under the Chancel had already been dug out. The funeral oration,
held by Bugenhagen, covered the usual Biblical text 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
Bugenhagen described Luther as an Angel of Revelation; a comparison which
Michael Stiefel had made in 1522. The following commemorative address was
held by Melanchthon who did not make a secret of the fact that Luther was not a
"saint", but a normal person who also had rough edges.
Copyright(c) Dr. Volmar Joestel, Lutherhalle Wittenberg 1996

and KDG Wittenberg 1997
http://www.luther.de/en/jlt.html
Martin Luther's somatic diseases. A short life-history 450

years after his death].
[Article in Norwegian]
Iversen OH1.
Author information
Abstract
The article contains a short life-history of the religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546)
with main emphasis on his many somatic diseases. The list comprises varicose ulcer,
angina pectoris with anxiety, obesity, hypertension arterialis, Ménière's disease with
vertigo, tinnitus and fainting fits, gastralgia, constipation with anal ulcers and haemorrhoids
with bleeding, urolithiasis, arthritis urica, Roemheld's syndrome, and cataract in one eye.
Mentally he had a manic-depressive cast of personality, and a tendency to emotional
lability. In spite of this he had an enormous capacity for work.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9019884

"I Am Weak, I Cannot Go On": Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

"I Am Weak, I Cannot Go On": Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

"I Am Weak, I Cannot Go On": Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)

"I am weak, I cannot go on"

Luther's Death (1546)

Luther set off on his last trip on January 17, 1546, to

Luther did not have the energy to return to

Luther's Role in Religious Discussions and

Martin Luther's Life

o 1483 (November 10) Born in Eisleben

The most important reports about

Luther did not take part in the

Transportation to Wittenberg and Burial

Copyright(c) Dr. Volmar Joestel, Lutherhalle Wittenberg 1996

Martin Luther's somatic diseases. A short life-history 450

You might also like