Historical personalities in Wittenberg
Clever minds, reformers, emperors, artists, noble ladies or medieval media entrepreneurs - these are just some of the important personalities who were active in Wittenberg. Of course, much revolves around the great reformer Martin Luther himself, but his wife Katharina von Bora and many other companions and contemporary witnesses have also found their way into the history books.
Katharina von Bora, Luther's wife, gave her husband Martin three sons and three daughters. The famous painter Lucas Cranach was a true media entrepreneur of the Middle Ages. Philipp Melanchthon, the "Teacher of the Germans," was one of the most important reformers who worked in Wittenberg.
Johannes Bugenhagen
From 1523 until shortly before his death, Johannes Bugenhagen was the city pastor at the city church of St. Mary in Wittenberg. As a close confidant of Martin Luther, he campaigned for reformations of the church orders in northern Germany and Scandinavia. Bugenhagen became Luther's confessor soon after his arrival in Wittenberg and officiated at the wedding ceremony between him and Katharina von Bora. Beginning in 1539, he assisted Luther in translating the Bible and at the same time worked on a Low German translation of the Holy Scriptures. Luther's death hit Bugenhagen, who delivered the eulogy in the castle church in Wittenberg, hard.
