Katharina von Bora

Katharina von Bora , ( Catherine of Boron ), born the January 29th 1499 with Lippendorf, deceased the December 20th 1552, was the wife of Martin Luther.

Youth

Exit of a family of the minor nobility of Saxony, as of the five years age, Katharina is placed by his/her parents in a convent of bénédictines. For his/her impoverished parents, this placement seems the only chance of a possible social rise. In this not very familiar universe, Katharina finds other young girls who, like it, are subjected to the Règle bénédictine. It is necessary to rise early to take part in the offices and the austere life of the convent. In 1508, to died of his wife, Hans von Bora entrusts her daughter to the Cistercian abbey of Nimbschen, in the south of Grimma. Under the direction of his/her aunt and abbess Margaretha von Haubitz, Katharina learns how there to read and write. Some concepts of Latin enable him to perfect his formation and in 1515, it pronounces its wishes of nun.

A memorable escape

In 1521, Martin Luther had published the votis monasticis , informant that nothing in the writings justified the existence of the monachism and that the wishes pronounced by the monks did not have any value. At Easter 1523, thanks to carrying which comes to deliver fish to the abbey, Katharina and eleven of its colleagues can be dissimulated in fish herring barrels and cross in hiding-place the doors of the abbey. External accomplices wait escaped and allow them to find refuges. With Wittenberg, Katharina is lodged by Barbara Brengebier, wife of the painter Lucas Cranach since 1512. To this last which had bound of friendship with Philippe Melanchthon and Martin Luther, Katharina will meet her engaged couple.

Marriage with Martin Luther

The June 13rd 1525, Katharina and Martin celebrate their engagement and two weeks later their marriage in the presence of the witnesses Barbara and Lucas Cranach. Johann Friederich von Wittenberg, the Prince-Voter (Kurfurst) of Saxony, places at the disposal of the young couple the monastery unused Augustin of Wittenberg. Katharina which did not lose anything of its dynamism and its assets of nun cistercian practices there pisciculture, the bee-keeping, the work of the ground, poultry breeding, the mixing of beer… maintenance and the repair of the buildings, the lodging of the students of his husband who, as for him, earns her living while teaching and while preaching.

It will have six children:

Johannes/Hans born in 1526
Elisabeth born in 1527 but deceased the following year
Magdalena born in 1529 and deceased in 1542
Martin born in 1531
Paul born in 1533
Magarethe born in 1534.

Other children, nieces and nephews of allied families, will still increase the family circle and Katharina will have extremely to make to nourish, dress and educate the children.

After the death of Martin Luther

Neat patient but with much of devotion, Martin Luther dies in February 1546. Consequently, Katharina is in a precarious situation and must even fight against the justice and the local right of Saxony which want to oblige it to withdraw in an old people's home for widows with like only heritage a chair and a dress. In this same year 1546, the War of Ligue of Smalkade obliges it to flee to join Magdeburg. Of return to Wittenberg, it must flee one second time in 1547 towards Braunschweig then returns in July of the same year to find its dilapidated buildings and the grounds in waste land. Katharina is however reinstalled there until 1552 when an epidemic of Peste and the economic crisis makes it flee to join Torgau. Unfortunately, with the doors of the city, following an incident, the horses are startled and Katharina falls from the car. Raised with a fracture of the basin and many other wounds, Katharina dies a few days before Christmas the December 20th.

External bonds

Web site dedicated to Katharina von Bora (in German)
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (the USA) Concordia Historical Institute Web site on Katherine von Bora

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This article is partially based on Wikipedia site in German.

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