Argula von Grumbach, Eine christliche Schrift einer ehrbaren Frau..., Munich 1523 (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, 4 H.ref. 680)

Argula von Grumbach (c.1492–c. 1554) wrote a letter to the University of Ingolstadt (“Wie eine christliche Frau des Adels...”; i.e. as a Christian woman of the aristocracy) on the case of Arsacius Seehofer (d. 1545), and another document which she sent to Duke William IV of Bavaria (1493–1550, duke 1508–1550). She attached the letter to the university for the duke’s information. Grumbach completed both communications on 20 September 1523.

The second text also circulated initially only in handwritten copies. A few weeks after its dispatch it went into print and was reproduced in five editions until 1524. The exemplar presented here comes from the Munich workshop of Hans Schobser.

In the context of Seehofer’s ban from Ingolstadt, Grumbach explores the relationship between the estates and authorities and the Word of God. Since Ingolstadt is a state university, she speaks directly to Duke William. The two also shared the experience of years spent together during their youth at the Munich court.

According to Grumbach, the Word of God must rule all things. By the sentence of revocation imposed against Seehofer, however, the university had denied God’s Word, since Seehofer had repeated Martin Luther’s (1483–1546) and Philip Melanchthon’s (1497–1560) teachings, which in turn taught the Word of the Lord. Now it was up to the duke to decide for or against God’s Word. If he did not take the right decision, the country and its people would be afflicted by misfortune and Bavaria might be occupied by enemies.

Grumbach also attacks the lifestyle of the clergy who no longer respect the monastic ideal of poverty. At the end of the letter, she offers specific proposals to reform the Church.

To the digitised copy