Ulrich von Hutten, Gesprächbüchlein (Discourse Booklet)

Ulrich von Hutten (1488-1523), the son of a minor nobleman, is best known for his political and literary activities, which made him a literary figure in the 19th century. He took the decisive step into political journalism with his "Exhortatio et Carmina ad Maximilianum Caesarem" (1512) indictment.

A partisan of Martin Luther (1483-1546) since 1519, Hutten wrote five Latin dialogues in 1520 in which he denounced the Curia and demanded the liberation of Germany from Rome. They were published in German translation under the title "Gespräch büchlin herr Vlrichs von Hutten. Feber das Erst. Feber das Ander. Wadiscus oder die Roemische dreyfaltigkeit" in 1521. Since then Hutten has used the German language in his writings. In the dialogues, the Franconian knight of the empire places himself entirely in the service of the Reformation.

The discourse, some with allegories, among others between Hutten and fever (= disease of the times), the sun god Sol and his son Phaeton, pick up on current grievances and are formally based on the time-sensitive dialogues by the Greek poet Lukian. Hutten also does not shy away from crudely painting things black and white.

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