Katharina von Bora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katharina von Bora
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Portrait of Catherine von Bora by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526 oil on panel
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| Born | 29 January 1499? Lippendorf?, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
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| Died | 20 December 1552 (aged 53) Torgau, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
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Katharina von Bora (born around January 29, 1499, died December 20, 1552) was a very important woman during the Protestant Reformation. She is best known as the wife of Martin Luther, a key leader of this religious movement. After her marriage, she was often called Katharina Luther or "die Lutherin" (meaning 'the Lutheress').
Katharina played a big role in showing what Protestant family life could be like. Her marriage to Luther helped set an example for other religious leaders to marry. This was a new idea at the time.
Contents
Early Life and Escape
When Katharina was about five years old, her father sent her to a Benedictine convent in Brehna in 1504. This was so she could get an education. At age nine, she moved to Nimbschen Abbey, a Cistercian community. Her aunt was already a nun there.
After many years as a nun, Katharina became interested in the new ideas of the Reformation. She grew unhappy with living in the convent. She and several other nuns secretly contacted Martin Luther for help.
On April 4, 1523, Luther sent a merchant named Leonhard Köppe to the convent. He regularly delivered herring to the nuns. The nuns escaped by hiding in his covered wagon among the fish barrels. They fled to Wittenberg, a city where Luther lived.
Luther tried to find homes for the escaped nuns with their families. However, their families said no. This was likely because helping the nuns escape was against church rules at the time.
Within two years, Luther found husbands or jobs for all the nuns except Katharina. She first stayed with a family in Wittenberg. Later, she lived with the famous artist Lucas Cranach the Elder and his wife. Katharina had several people who wanted to marry her, but she didn't want to marry them. She told Luther's friend, Nicolaus von Amsdorf, that she would only marry Luther or von Amsdorf himself.
Marriage to Martin Luther
At first, Martin Luther and his friends were not sure if he should marry. Some thought it might cause problems for the Reformation. But Luther decided that his marriage would make his father happy and upset the Pope.
Katharina, who was 26, and Luther, who was 41, got married on June 13, 1525. A small wedding breakfast was held the next morning. A bigger, public ceremony took place on June 27.
The couple moved into a large building called the 'Black Monastery'. This was a former home for monks and was a wedding gift from John, Elector of Saxony. Katharina quickly took charge of managing the large property.
She raised and sold cattle and ran a brewery to support her family. Many students also lived with them, and Luther had many visitors. During times of sickness, she even ran a small hospital and worked with the nurses. Luther often called her the 'morning star of Wittenberg' because she woke up very early.
Luther sometimes called his wife 'Herr Käthe' (meaning 'Mr. Käthe'). He said she had a lot of control over his life. He even said she could convince him of whatever she wanted. He gave her "complete control" over their home.
Katharina helped her husband manage their property and oversaw any needed repairs. She always called him 'Herr Doktor' (Mr. Doctor) and respected him. He sometimes asked her for advice on church matters.
Katharina and Martin Luther had six children: Hans (born 1526), Elisabeth (born 1527), Magdalena (born 1529), Martin (born 1531), Paul (born 1533), and Margarete (born 1534). They also raised four orphaned children, including Katharina's nephew.
The marriage of Katharina von Bora and Martin Luther was very important for Protestantism. It helped shape new ideas about marriage and the roles of men and women. Luther was not the first religious leader to marry, but he was one of the most famous. His marriage became a strong symbol for the Reformation.
Life After Luther's Death
Martin Luther died in 1546. Katharina faced financial difficulties without his salary as a professor and pastor. She owned land and properties, but Luther's will could not be fully carried out due to Saxon law.
Soon after, Katharina had to leave the Black Cloister, now called Lutherhaus. This was because of the Schmalkaldic War. She fled to Magdeburg and then to Braunschweig. In July 1547, after the war ended, she returned to Wittenberg.
The war had damaged the monastery buildings and lands. Farm animals were stolen or killed. Katharina received help from powerful princes to support herself.
She stayed in Wittenberg, facing poverty, until 1552. Then, an outbreak of the Black Plague and a bad harvest forced her to leave again. She fled to Torgau. On her way, she was thrown from her cart into a ditch.
Katharina was unconscious for three months before she died in Torgau on December 20, 1552. She was 53 years old. She was buried at Saint Mary's Church in Torgau, away from her husband's grave. She is said to have declared on her deathbed, "I will stick to Christ as a burr to cloth."
By the time Katharina died, her surviving children were adults. The Black Cloister was sold back to the university in 1564 by her children.
Commemoration
Katharina von Bora is remembered on December 20 in the Calendar of Saints of some Lutheran churches. In 2022, she was also added to the Episcopal Church liturgical calendar with a feast day on December 20.
There is a statue of her in Wittenberg. Several books have been written about her life. An opera about her life also helps keep her memory alive.
See also
In Spanish: Catalina de Bora para niños
