Martin Luther to John Frederick of Saxony; Wittenberg, 14 May 1526 (Staatsarchiv Coburg, LA B 2431, Nr. 1)

In 1526, Martin Luther (1483–1546) wrote to John Frederick of Saxony (1503–1554, duke/elector 1532–1554), the son of the Saxon elector, in support of Wigand Güldenapf, the retired pastor of Waltershausen (present Thuringia). The city of Waltershausen was situated in electoral Saxony. Güldenapf can be ascertained there from 1510. He introduced the Reformation in the city.

John Frederick was already politically active during the reign of his father John the Steadfast (1468–1532, elector 1525–1532) and took a particularly strong interest in matters of religion. From c.1520, he was a staunch follower of Luther.

As Luther mentions in his letter, Güldenapf had been his teacher (“schulmeister gewest”) – probably at Eisenach – and therefore he felt duty-bound to pay him all possible compliments (“ihm alle ehre zuthun”). In 1507, Luther had invited Güldenapf to his Primiz, i.e. the first mass celebrated by Luther, to Erfurt.

From the letter shown here, it becomes clear that John Frederick had issued a contract between the city council and the parish of Waltershausen in which Güldenapf’s retirement in the year 1523 was regulated. The agreed pension of a yearly sum of 30 guilders from the revenue of the parish revenue had, however, not been paid. Luther therefore asked John Frederick to help Güldenapf with the assertion of his rights so that he would not have to go begging in his old days (“inn seinen alten tagen betteln gehen”). That Güldenapf is called the presenter of the letter (“brieves zeiger”) shows that he took the letter written by Luther directly to the recipient.

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