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Short biography of Johannes Luther |
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[Source: Günter Luther 'The Luther-Family', Berlin 1986] |
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Johannes Luther is born on 7. June 1526 in Wittenberg. His grandperents were the provost Justus Jonas and Lucas Cranach the Older, the chancellor Müller from Mansfeld, the vice-chancellor Baier, Bugenhagen and the wife of the mayor Hohndorf from Wittenberg.
His friends and playfellows were 'Josten', born 1525, the son of his godfather Justus Jonas and 'Lippius', the son of Philipp Melanchthon, who was born on 3. December 1525 in Wittenberg. Magdalena von Bora, 'Muhme Lene', an aunt of his mother, attended to Johannes. In the year 1537 aunt Lene deceased.
Already in the year 1533 he matriculated at the University of Wittenberg. The pedagogues Georg Schnell, Franz Bock and most of all Hieronymus Weller from Molsdorf attended to his other education. In the years 1542/43 he came to the magister Crodel in Torgau. Here he prepared 1543 for the magister graduation. In support of this graduation his father sent Georg Major to him. Following Johannes started with the real studying.
From 1545 Johannes was allowed to accompany his father on some journeys, so also in January 1546 to Eisleben, where D. Martin Luther on 18. February 1546 died. But Johannes has further-traveled to Mansfeld to visit there his uncle Jacob Luther, the younger brother of his father.
Philipp Melanchthon, mayor Reiter, his uncle Jacob Luther and Caspar Cruziger, who was now the rector of the University Wittenberg, as proxy for the personel physician Ratzeburger, were ordered to his guardians. Elector Johann Friedrich of Saxony offered to employ Johannes in his office. But Johannes asked him to allow to continue firstly his studies.
Because of the Schmalkaldi War 1546/47 the working at the university could be kept only provisional upright. In this time Johannes worried about his brothers and sisters, as eldest son together with his mother. Particularly as they twice because of the war over Magdeburg to Braunschweig to
flee had.
In the year 1548 Johannes took up again the study of the rights. After a recommendation letter of Melanchthon, promoted now also duke Albrecht of
Prussia the studies. The son-in-law of Melanchthon, George Sabinus, became rector of the university
in Königsberg. Shortly thereafter he was in Wittenberg and with him together traveled Johannes
Luther in May 1549 to East Prussia. He wanted to continue its study there. Since in Königsberg the plague had broken out, they had to be for the time
being in Laptau and Prussian Holland. So Johannes could continue only at the beginning of the year 1550 his study.
In Königsberg Johannes Luther became the friend of castle count Achatius zu Dohna .He received his leaving certificate of the university on 15. July 1551. Afterwards both still remained at the ancestral seat of the 'zu Dohna' in Mohrungen, before they traveled in October 1551 to Wittenberg to continue their studies.
Because of outbreak of the plague, in autumn 1552, the University Wittenberg was moved to Torgau for a provisional working. Also the mother with his siblings moved to Torgau. There on 20. December 1552 his mother Katharina von Bora deceased.
With the distribution of the inheritance 0n 29. June 1553 Johannes Luther became patriarch and together with his brothers Martin and Paul lords of the Luther-Manor Wachsdorf, south of the Elbe river near Wittenberg.
Johannes was employed as court chansellor at the court of Friedrich the Middle of Saxony and went to Weimar. 1561 he moved with the duke to Gotha.
In the year 1563 Johannes Luther interrupted his activity at the court to visit his sister Margarethe von Kunheim in East Prussia. There were still some hereditary affairs, particular according to the big house, the Black Monastry in Wittenberg, to manage. The Black Monastry was sold then 1564 to the university. Johannes was 1563/64 for a longer time in East Prussia and here he had married his wife Elisabeth von Schlieben, widowed 'von Creytzen'. She was a cousin of his brother-in-law Georg von Kunheim and a daughter of Wilhelm von Schlieben.
At this time Johannes was godfather of the son, born in Mühlhausen, of his friend, since studying in Königsberg, Kaspar Henneberger, who was pastor there. Also the ancestral seat of the 'von Kunheim' family belonged to this parish.
In September 1564 Johannes traveled to Wittenberg. There he managed the sale of the Black Monastry. From there he returned to Gotha, where he had been absent for one and a half year. Obviously his wife remained in East Prussia, where 1564 the daughter Katharina was born.
Nearby Jena Johannes Luther had also a close contact to Johannes Wigand, who was theology professor there and had married Eva Dresser, a granddaughter of his uncle Jacob Luther.
Probable caused by Wilhelm von Grumbach, who had to much influence over duke Johann Friedrich of Saxony, he asked for his dismissal to move to his family in East Prussia. But he got only on 5. May 1566 a leave of absence. Johannes moved to Königsberg and was employed by Albrecht of Prussia, who was his long-lived benefactor. In East Prussia Johannes some sons were born.
With this relocation to East Prussia, that falls into the time of the Grumbach quarrels, the biography of Johannes remains a little bit veiled. It is certain however that further years in Prussian services followed. In the year 1569 he was in Berlin, where his brother Paul had become personal physician of the elector Joachim II. of Brandenburg. Johannes became the godfather for his, born here, nephew Johann Joachim Luther at the baptism on Palm Sunday 1569. To this time he stood in services of the duke Albert Friedrich of Prussia, at whose court in Königsberg he also lived.
The small distance between Königsberg and Knauten made it possible to Johannes Luther, as minister Henneberger reports, to meet frequently with his sister Margarete. This deceased young at the age of 36 years. Afterwards Johannes lived obviously on one of the family estates in the
environment of Königsberg. It is probably to be owed to the influence of Johannes Luther at the Prussian court the fact that Konrad Schlüsselburg, married with Anna Dresser, a granddaughter of Jacob Luther, the younger brother of the Reformators, came in the year 1573 to Königsberg. At the same time also Johannes Wigand with his wife and the brothers-in-law Adam and Christoph Dresser moved to Königsberg. He became a rector at the university of Königsberg and late bishop of Pomesanien. Likewise the theology professor Heshusius from Jena came to East Prussia and received the appointment to the bishop of Samland. The study friendship of Johannes with Achatius to Dohna persisted. His father was married in first marriage with Anna zu Eulenburg, whose family had
likewise estates in East Prussia. Achatius to Dohna was in the meantime ducal Prussian envoy, and at Mohrungen married with Barbara von Wernsdorf, a daughter of Catharina von Ölsnitz. The niece Dorothea of this Catharina von Ölsnitz married 1573 Georg von Kunheim in his 2nd marriage.
Because of a serious illness Johannes Luther lay in the city dwelling of the
counsel Heinrich Stenderich in Königsberg. There he was treated by the court physician Dr. Severin Göbel, which attained a doctorate with the brother Paul Luther once.
Here Johannes Luther deceased on 27 October 1575. He is buried before the altar of the church in the Old Town of Königsberg. To the funeral service has called Johannes Wigand, who was installed one week before to the bishop of Pomesanien. Bishop Heshusius held the sermon for the mourners.
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| Johannes Luther, the first born son of the Reformator, had three sons and one daugther? Yes! Continuation of page 2 |
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Memorial Stone
of the immortal but in eternity lasting
name of the Luther
because
by the right of the blood and
clear creed as diligent
have proven themselves
preeminently
through respectability
of the birth and of the life
Sir
MARTIN HEINRICH LUTHER
his Royal Polish
Majesty and Elector of
Saxony legation secretary
and
Sir GABRIEL GOTTFRIED
LUTHER
councilman of both laws
physical brothers
of the divine Martinus Doctoris
great and apostolic
sibship and to the same
family belonging MEN
in life and death completely protruding
of Sir
GABRIEL LUTHER
of the most venerable and mightiest
Elector in Mark Brandenburg
of the most high-important and devoted
councilman
and
Lady ANNA ROSINA WEISE
offsprings
Oh, nobody is more weep-worth
as the deeply sad mother,
those older at the age of 33
in Paris
those younger in the age of 28 at
home by cruel to early death gone by
In the year of death 1699
in tears in marble written
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Gabriel Luther (*1612) is noticed in "Allgemeinen Gelehrten-Lexikon" of Christian Gottlieb Jöcher published 1750/51 as descendant of D. Martin Luther. See the copy in the right column! Here is my translation:
Luther (Gabriel), a descendant of Dr. Martin Luther, was a son of Heinrich Luther, preacher at Poskau (today: Puschkau) in the princedom Schweidnitz, born at 6. Sept. 1612. visited 6 years the school in Schweidnitz, and the Gymnasium in Breslau 4 years, whereto he fled from the prosecution of the Protestants in the year 1629, completely impoverished. 1633 he visited the university in Frankfurt and studied 3 years law; guided young noble men through the Netherlands, England and France and has got 1647 in Bourges the laureateship of a Licent. juris; became 1653 a "Churf. Brandenburg. Hof- und Kammergerichts-Rath" (= court counsellor of the Elector of Brandenburg), 1668 "Baireuthischer Hof- und Justizrath" (= court counsellor in the princedom Bayreuth), and deceased at 14. April 1672. See continued collection of the U. N. 1733. p. 930 see Richter geneal. Luth. p. ti5 fgg.
Gabriel Luther was the son of the pastor and preacher Heinrich Luther (* about 1564, + Puschkau by the prosecution of the Protestants in the year 1629 in the Thirty Years' War). The memorial stone in Wittstock proved, that Heinrich Luther must be a grandson of the Reformator. But to which son you must assign him? Johannes the oldest cannot be considered. The descendants of the son Paul are explored thoroughly. Therefore remains only the son Martin. According to Mrs. Friedel Damm the 2nd son of the Reformator Martin and his wife Anna Heili(n)ger haven't children. But to which we must assign Heinrich Luther, who is a descendant of the Reformator? It remains only the 2nd son Martin.
Let us remember! We explore still the desendance of Gabriel Luther.
Could it be true, that Martin Luther (*1531) didn't have any children? He was married for 5 years with the daughter of the mayor of Wittenberg Heiliger and and lived till to his death on the Luther manor Wachsdorf.
continued in the right column above, below the figure
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Time enough for children. After his death his widow married to Pirna and has taken away certainly possible children to Pirna. Perhaps this is the cause why they vanished into unawareness. In fine, Heinrich Luther, the father of Gabriel Luther, can only be a son of Martin Luther (*1531), the 2nd Son of the Reformator.
Only in this case we can understand the poem of Daniel Luther to the marriage of Gabriel Luther(*1612).
[Günter Luther notes as source for this poem the following: Berlin - Archiv Breslau, Vratislava F 3a f / Copie im Grauen Kloster, Berlin]
The grandfathers of both were brothers, Daniel is the second cousin of Gabriel.
continued below left column
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David Richter tells us nothing about the Luther lineage from Schleswig. Yet it could be possible, that he was in contact with Theodor Luther (*1651) the son of Daniel Luther. In the archive of the rectory in Breklum was the fragment of a handwritten note, that has the headline 'Genealogia Lutherorum', like David Richter used it. Obviously this note is from the hand of Theodor Luther.
[Source: Arnold Haustedt in Schriften des Vereins für Schleswig-Holsteinische Kirchengeschichte, 1918]
In his essay Haustedt reports about the beneath shown 'Personalia Theodori Lutheri'. Sartorius dealed with this elaboration 1926, yet he refused the acknowledgment.
continued in the right column
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Also Nobbe has written about this subject and concluded genealogically out the activity of Martin, the father of Daniel Luther, as mercator (merchant) in the Westphalian Soest, that Daniel must be born in Soest. But then Nobbe let explore the citizen register in Soest by a Mr. Patze from Soest. Patze explored the years from 1573 to 1613. He reports, that in the Year 1608 no Luther has lived in Soest.
[Source: Günter Luther 'Die Luther-Familie', Berlin 1986, S.58]
It follows beneath a cutout of the original document of the biography of Theodor Luther.
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The transcription of the document above is shortened succeeding to the essential part of the biography.
...My father has been the whilom well-venerable and higherudite Sir Daniel Lutherus, has been 34 years well-emeritus pastor of the christian parish in Breklum; my mother has been the whilom great-honorable- and high-virtue-rich Mrs. Margaretha Luther, née Moth. My paternal grandfather has been whilom the well-honorable and well-nobly Sir Martinus Lutherus, nobly merchant and dealer in the town Soest in Westphalia; my paternal grandmother has been the great-honorable- and high-virtue-rich Mrs. Elisabetha Luther, née Kayser. My maternal grandfather has been the well-venerable and higherudite Sir M. Johannes Moth, at first rector, later deacon of St. Nicolai, finally pastor of St. Mary in Flensburg. My maternal grandmother has been the whilom the great-honorable- and high-virtue-rich Mrs. Susanna Gerhardi. It isn't allowed to report about more ancestors, although my father could tell about Johannes, son of D. Martinus Lutherus from the other marriage lineam descendentem. I am born on the 11th January anno 1651 mornings 8 o'clock in Breklum in the parsonage.
Here is told, that the father of Theodor was Daniel Luther, pastor of Breklum. Theodor doesn't unfortunately report where Daniel Luther was born. Also the birthplace of the grandparents isn't noted, he tells us only, that his grandfather Martin Luther was merchant and dealer in the town Soest in Westphalia, whereto he was relocated obviously from Königsberg.
In the register of marriages of the cathedral-church in Königsberg you find the marriage of Martin Luther on 11. February 1607 with Elisabeth widow Hans Schwartz. A maiden name of Elisabeth isn't noted. Martin was "Rathmeister" of the elector of Brandenburg, the deceased husband of his wife was 2nd mayor of Königsberg.
In the castle church, the married couple belongs to this Parish, there was still none parish register at the time. Therefore we don't know the accurate birthday in the year 1608 of Daniel Luther, the first son from this marriage. By the entry of death in the parish register we can reckon back to the February 1608. Some sources give us the 11. February as birthday. Of course the birth could have been on the 1st wedding day, but Günter Luther supposes, that is only a memory of the marriage.
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continued in the right column above, below the figure
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Let us look at the hitherto existing historical traditions and let us compare its with the facts, that Günter Luther has reported. The wife of Martin Luther is a Elisabeth and Daniel is born one year after the marriage. It is proven too by other entries of birth, that the family of Martin Luther till to the birth of the later child, Gertraudt Luther in the year 1628, lived in Königsberg. We cannot find the entries of death for Martin Luther and his wife Elisabeth in Königsberg, contrary to his both brothers Jacob and Wilhelm, that are deceased 1635 and 1644 respectively.
Daniel Luther was registered 1640 in the University of Königsberg. In the register you can read where he is coming from: "from Westphalia". But Westphalia must not be necessarily the birthplace. His father worked for the Prussian court, a 'mercator' was not only a merchant, but also it can meaning a buying agent. Maybe Martin Luther was a buying agent in the order of the court.
At that time the town Soest was in a narrow relation to Kleve and therefore it came 1666 definitely to the dominion of the elector of Brandenburg. For this an provisional agreement had been made already 1614. At this time this region was called 'Mark' in Prussia. Only the knowledge of this historical background let us understand another entry of birth in Königsberg.
This entry of birth is concerning the family of a brother of Daniel Luther. It concerns Martin Luther, who was named after his father. This entry of birth you can find in the church of Tragheim in Königsberg: ... 1641 on 21. February Martin Luther from the 'Mark' has let baptize a son in the apartment of Peter Schneider... Obviously this Martin Luther has gone with his wife on a journey to Königsberg and has visited his brother Daniel, who studied there.
Let us return once again to the transcription above. The statement of Theodor luther: ... from the other marriage lineam descendentem..., could entice us to conclude there is an 2nd marriage. But Theodor Luther describes the marriage of his parents, as well as the both marriages of his grandparents and adds, what at this time was zeitgeisty, it was not allowed to note ancestors more back. That was applied for the commoners. Theodor says with 'from the other', what he wants to express, namely 'the other' beside the three marriages, that was described already. He speaks here about the marriage of his grand-grandparents, that his father was still allowed to name them.
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Let us recapitulate once again: It is certain, that Johannes Luther during his marriage since 1563 had a daughter and at least three sons. But perhaps we must still assign to him those Friedrich Luther, that we have to handle later. Except for the three stirps and their descendants, that are containing in the parish registers in Eastern Prussia, you can find nowhere in Eastern Prussia the surname Luther. Out of it we can suggest, that the surname Luther is come first with Johannes Luther to Eastern Prussia.
Daniel Luther is described rightly by his descending family in Schleswig as a descendant of the Reformator. Born 1608 as grand-grandson, his father is Martin and his grandfather is Johannes Luther, the oldest son of the Reformator.
The youngest brother of Daniel Luther is a Georg Luther. This Georg Luther prompts some confusion caused by sharing the same name. In this part I will try to feaze these confusions.
The son Simon Luther of our Georg Luther is starting point of my considertion. Simon Luther visited 1660 the Ratsgymnasium in Erfurt, that had been founded some years ago. A M. Zacharias Hogel II was was rector of the Ratsgymnasium from 1655 till to his death 1676. And he has bequeathed a detailed and exact register of the students, the Annales Gymnasii Senatorio-Evangelici. This register of Hogel was the source for the printed work of the schoolmaster Hermann Goldmann "Die Schüler des Erfurter Ratsgymnasiums von 1655 bis 1820" [The students of the Ratsgymnasium Erfurt from 1655 to 1820], published 1914. With the serial number 177 a Simon Luther is noted as Aedituus Ecclesiae Minorit. Then Goldmann added, that according to 'Motschmann' Simon Luther is a grand-grandson of the ducal court counsellor of Weimar Johann Luther, the oldest son of the Reformator. [source: information of the city archive in Erfurt]
Till now there is no cause to be in doubt about the descent of Simon Luther of the Reformator. But it remains to verify:
1. What is original entry in the register of Hogel?
2. What Motschmann reports in his Erford. liter. continuata? [See the figure in the right column above! Here Motschmann (wrong spelled) is noted as source too.]
The handwritten register of Zacharias Hogel could be perhaps in the Library of the Evangelic Ministerium, Comthurgasse 8, 99084 Erfurt. I will write to the library. Concerning the source 'Motschmann' I will write again to the city archives in Erfurt. If I have news, I will report here.
We hold: Simon Luther, son of Georg Luther, is a descendant of the court counsellor Johannes Luther.
At first let us turn towards a son of Simon Luther: Laurentius Theophilus Luther.
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The first sentence in this source contains the genealogical important information. Here is its transcription:
Luther (Laurentius Theophilus) was born on 24. May 1677 in Erfurt, where his father, who was a descendant of Dr. Martin Luther, was Collega at the "Barfüsser" school...
Also this lineage from Erfurt was challenged wrongly the descent of the Reformator. Christian Gottlieb Jöcher, the author, is concerning to Motschmann too.
We hold: Laurentius Theophilus Luther is noted by Jöcher as descendant of Dr. Martin Luther. Now it is undisputed, that he was a son Simon Luther, Collega at the "Barfüsser" school. Also it is undisputed, that the father of Simon Luther was a Georg Luther.
Here the name confusion begins at the Lutherids. Our Georg Luther is born 1620 in Königsberg and he isn't identical with Georg Luther - dem Dicken /the Fat - from Möhra. But our Georg Luther relocated to Möhra. The birth of his son Hans Georg was here on 1. January 1652. Günter Luther reports, that there is an entry in the parish register in the same year where he and his wife is noted as new arrived parishioners.
Through this is clear, that Hans Georg isn't a son of Georg the Fat, but of the relocated Georg Luther. Since his birth Georg the fat lived in Möhra and is deceased there 1656. The relocated Georg is deceased 1681 in Möhra. Alone the add on 'The Fat' points at, that two Georg Luther were living at the same time in Möhra.
Which Georg is the father of Hans the Older (*Möhra 1654) and Hans the Younger (*möhra 1656) must be still explored. The Magdalena Luther, born 1563, can be only the daughter of the relocated Georg, because Georg the Fat was deceased already. She is an argument too, that there was two Georgs at the same time.
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Like above promised, we have to deal with Friedrich Luther, i.e. actual with two times Friedrich.
The grand ... grandson of our 1st Friedrich the court counsellor Carl Friedrich Luther (*1741) is noted by the greates genealogist of his age Friedrich Wilhelm Strieder in his "Hessischer Gelehrten- und Schriftstellergeschichte 1787", as a descendant of D. Martin Luther. (See the figure in right column)
The grand-grandfather of Carl Friedrich Luther was owner of the "Egenolffschen Druckerei und Verlagsanstalt" [Egenolff print shop and publisher] in Frankfurt/Main, that was still conducted by his father Henrich Ehrenfried Luther (*1700). Henrich Ehrenfried Luther has sent at that time types to print bibles to Christoph Sauer in Germantown near Philadelphia. During he visited Germany Benjamin Franklin was guest at Henrich Ehrenfried Luther in Farnkfurt/Main.
The ancestor Friedrich Luther is born near 1562 and has learned compositor. He came through Westphalia to Frankfurt/Main. There he has married 1587 Maria Gentz and became a citizen of Frannkfurt/Main. His oldest son Johann is born 1588. By his marriage 1629 with Catharina Börner Johann has taken over the print shop of Egenolff. It remained several generations in family property.
About the time after the birth of his last child 1596 we don't know anything about Friedrich Luther. Therefore it is not clear, when he is deceased. It isn't clear alike, to which Luther son we have to assign him.
Günter Luther said, he could be the oldest son of Johannes Luther and assigned Friedrich to Johannes Luther. The accent is on "could". In Königsberg he isn't to verify. But he could be another son of Martin Luther (*1531) too.
continued in the right column in this part
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According to Günter Luther you find Friedrich Luther likewise as son of Johannes Luther (*1526). But I point out strongly, that is a provisional presentation. But he belongs to one of the Luther sons, if Strieder not errs.
To make matters worse there is another Friedrich Luther, who must be born about at the same time. He is 1616 secretary of the Elector Johann Sigimund of Prussia. This is proven by a letter, that the Elector Johann Sigismund has written to his secretary Friedrich Luther. The content isn't important.
[Staatsarchiv preuss. Kulturbesitz, Berlin XX HA 50a # 57]
Whom this Friedrich Luther is assignd to, we have still to explore. Perhaps he is the oldest son of Johannes Luther and not the compositor in Frankfurt/Main. You see, here we have to clarify much.
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Result:
All arguments and clues, that Günther Luther has brought together for the sons of Johannes Luther (*1526), permit only one conclusion: These sons have exist and there are minimum three sons, perhaps even four.
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In the family pages of the Lutherids I haven't found any counterevidence. With Günter Luther the Lutherids has banished also his results of reasearch.
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