Martin Luther's Peasant Background Examined

Archaeological and Literary Evidence Suggests a Well-to-do Family

© Michael Streich

Dec 18, 2008

Recent excavations in Mansfeld and Wittenberg confirm the literary sources that point to a social status above the norms of general peasant life in 16th Century Germany.

New evidence in the life of Reformer Martin Luther suggests that his upbringing did not reflect the lifestyle of typical peasantry. Luther scholar Roland Bainton’s assessment that “Luther was not brought up in grinding poverty,” [1] is corroborated by artifacts currently displayed in Halle at the State Museum of Prehistory. According to the Atlantic Times, the evidence demonstrates that Luther’s family “led an extravagant lifestyle…” [2] Although studies of Luther’s early life confirm that his father, Hans, was a man of means, the new discoveries give a more detailed picture of the family’s prosperity.

Literary Evidence of the Luther Family Lifestyle

Luther’s family had settled in Mansfeld the year after he was born in Eisleben. Bainton states that Luther’s mother came from a “well established burgher family,” [3] and that her social status was higher than that of her husband. Some scholars speculate that it was financial help from her family that enabled Hans to lease a copper mine in partnership with a friend.

This enterprise allowed Hans to eventually own shares in eight copper and silver mines and three foundries. Although by no means rich, the income derived from these enterprises permitted him to afford a university education for his son Martin. According to Luther, recollecting in later years, his father paid “bitter sweat and toil.”

When Martin obtained the Master of Arts degree, his father presented him with a copy of the Corpus Juris. Such books were not inexpensive. Later, on the occasion of Luther’s first Mass, Hans presented the Augustinian Order with a gift of twenty florins. The Italian florin, in use throughout Europe at the time, was a gold coin containing 3.5 grams of gold. Such examples indicate that Luther’s family had risen from the days when, as Luther later recalled, his mother carried all her firewood home on her back.

Evidence from the Artifacts

According to the Atlantic Times, in Mansfeld, the Luther family owned, “not only a house but three interconnected buildings as well.” Behind the structures, archaeologists found a garbage dump dated to the time the family lived there. According to findings, numerous articles were quickly buried here. The scientists speculate that this may have been done to avoid contamination after two of Luther’s brothers died in 1505.

Archaeologists found “300 silver coins, pieces of jewelry, cookware, and children’s toys.” Additionally, the dump contained the bones of pigs and poultry. This would indicate that the Luther family ate substantially better than most families, particularly since meat was seldom found in a peasant diet.

The article concludes with a brief list of artifacts found from Luther’s own Wittenberg house, dumped after his death. These include “exotic dishes from Venice” as well as dinnerware and other personal objects. While these findings do not impact Luther’s early life, they may shed light on Luther’s taste’s which would have been formed as a young adult.

Notes and Sources:

[1] Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950) p. 24.

[2] “Martin Luther Revisited: An exhibition shows that the reformer was not from a poor background,” Atlantic Times, Vol. 5, No. 12, December 2008, p.20.

[3] Bainton, p. 24.

See also:

M.A. Kleebery and Gerhard Lemme, In the Footsteps of Martin Luther, (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1966).

Richard Marius, Martin Luther: The Christian Between God and Death (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999)

The copyright of the article Martin Luther's Peasant Background Examined in German History is owned by Michael Streich. Permission to republish Martin Luther's Peasant Background Examined in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.